Toxicity and Accumulation of Selenite in Four Microalgae

The toxicity and bioaccumulation of selenite in four microalgae, Spirulina platensis,Dunaliella salina, DunalieUa bardawill and Phaeodactylum tricornutum cultured in the presence of selenite were investigated. Lower concentrations of selenite were generally nontoxic and frequently stimulated algal growth, while higher concentrations of selenite inhibited algal growth. Selenite was more toxic to D. salina and D. bardawill than to S. platensis and P. tricornutum. All algae cultured in selenite were able to incorporate Se to different degrees, which depended on algal species. The distributions of selenite among intracellular macromolecular compounds were different among algal species : most of the selenite was associated with proteins in S. platensis, D. salina and D. bardawill, while most of the selenite was associated with lipids in P. tricornutum, which reflected the physiological differences among the algae. These observations suggest that algae are able to accumulate selenite and bind it with intracell~ar macromolecular compounds when exposed to high concentration of selenite. This may represent a form of storage or detoxification of selenite by the algae.     

Heavy metal research in lacustrine sediment： a review

Heavy metals are released into environment from a wide range of natural and anthropogenic sources. Aquatic ecosystems are normally at the receiving end and in many cases, with lakes as intermediaries. Lacustrine sediments are important sinks for heavy metals and play a significant role in enrichment and remobilization of heavy metals in aquatic systems. Therefore, characteristics of heavy metal in lacustrine sediments become one of the important issues in environmental sciences. Progress in heavy metal research of lake sediments since late 1980s is reviewed comprehensively in this paper from over 100. The Highlights are placed on the establishment of aquatic sediment quality guidelines, references chemical speciation of heavy metals, heavy metal transport mechanisms in lakes, and high-resolution study of lake borehole cores. Meanwhile, suggestions for heavy metal research in lacustrine sediment in the future are proposed, including such issues as using integrated approaches to assess aquatic ecosystem, modem lake dynamic process, high-resolution evolutionary sequence and spatial differentiation of environments and international lake database, which should be referential to the promotion of research on heavy metal in aquatic system.     

Heavy metal concentration and its evaluation in the organisms from Meizhou Bay

The present paper reports Zn,Cu,Pb,Cd,Ni,Fe,Mn and Co contents in the tissues of oyster,solen,red-tail prawn,sea eel and kelp,taken from Meizhou Bay(and analysed by flame atomicabsorption spectrophotometry after wet digestion)in June 1992,and also the concentration factors esti-mated from the mean metal concentrations in the organisms and water there.Heavy metal concentrationsin every species of the organisms followed the pattern:Fe,Mn,Cu,Zn>Pb,Cd,Ni,Co and in variousorganisms showed considerable variation.In general,levels of most of these metals were in the order:softtissues of the bivalves>the kelp>muscles of the red-tail prawn,the sea eel.The greatest concentrationof most metals was found in the gill or viscera of the sea eel,whereas the muscle tissues,in general,con-tained only low concentrations of them.The Cu,Zn concentration factors of the oyster were higher by1—2 orders of magnitude than that of the other organisms.The observed heavy metal levels were closeto those reported from various waters     

Tissue-specific bioaccumulation and oxidative stress responses in juvenile Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) exposed to mercury

To understand mercury (Hg) toxicity in marine fish, we measured Hg accumulation in juvenile Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) and assessed the effects on growth and antioxidant responses. After Hg exposure (control, 5, 40, and 160 μg/L Hg) for 28 d, fish growth was significantly reduced. The accumulation of Hg in fish was dose-dependent and tissue-specific, with the maximum accumulation in kidney and liver, followed by gills, bone, and muscle. Different antioxidants responded differently to Hg exposure to cope with the induction of lipid peroxidation (LPO), which was also tissue-specific and dosedependent. As Hg concentration increased, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities increased significantly, whereas glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity and glutathione (GSH) levels decreased significantly in the gills. SOD and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities and the GSH level increased significantly in the liver. SOD activity and GSH levels increased significantly, but CAT activity decreased significantly with an increase in Hg concentration in the kidney. LPO was induced significantly by elevated Hg in the gills and kidney but was least affected in the liver. Therefore, oxidative stress biomarkers in gills were more sensitive than those in the liver and kidney to Hg exposure. Thus, the gills have potential as bioindicators for evaluating Hg toxicity in juvenile flounder.     

Heavy metal content in coral reef sediments from Red Sea of Yemen and its significance on marine environment

In order to determine and assess the concentrations of trace elements in coral reefs sediments from Red Sea of Yemen, sediment samples were collected, treated and analyzed for cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, manganese, nickel, iead, iron, zinc and vanadium by the atomic absorption spectrometric analysis. The result is that cadmium, cobalt and lead concentrations were high and other elements are low or the same as natural background. It is concluded that the high cadmium, cobalt and lead levels in coral reefs sediments will have negative effects on marine life of the sites, so further researches are needed to characterize the sources fate, biogeochemical processes and impacts of these trace elements on coral reefs and marine of the region.     

4种重金属离子及其混合液对壶状臂尾轮虫的急性毒性试验

研究了铜、锌、镉、铅离子及其混合液对壶状臂尾轮虫(Brachionusurceus)的急性毒性影响,实验结果表明,Cu2+、Zn2+、Cd2+、Pb2+对壶状臂尾轮虫的24hLC50分别为83 .18μg/L、4 .27mg/L、7. 60mg/L、23 44mg/L,将4种离子按照质量比120∶20∶6∶1的比例配成混合金属溶液,其混合液对壶状臂尾轮虫的24hLC50为0 42mg/L。     

Heavy metal content in coral reef sediments from Red Sea of Yemen and its significance on marine environment

In order to determine and assess the concentrations of trace elements in coral reefs sediments from Red Sea of Yemen, sediment samples were collected, treated and analyzed for cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, manganese, nickel, lead, iron, zinc and vanadium by the atomic absorption spectrometric analysis. The result is that cadmium, cobalt and lead concentrations were high and other elements are low or the same as natural background. It is concluded that the high cadmium, cobalt and lead levels in coral reefs sediments will have negative effects on marine life of the sites, so further researches are needed to characterize the sources fate, biogeochemical processes and impacts of these trace elements on coral reefs and marine of the region.     

Species- and tissue-specific mercury bioaccumulation in five fish species from Laizhou Bay in the Bohai Sea of China

Mercury (Hg) concentrations in the tissues (muscle, stomach, liver, gills, skin, and gonads) of five fish species (mullet Liza ha em atocheil us, flathead fish Platycephalus indicus, sea bass Lateolabrax japonic u s, mackerel Scomberomorus niphonius and silver pomfret Pampus argenteus) collected from Laizhou Bay in the Bohai Sea of China were investigated. The results indicate that Hg bioaccumulation in the five fish was tissue-specific, with the highest levels in the muscle and liver, followed by the stomach and gonads. The lowest levels were found in the gills and skin. Fish at higher trophic levels (flathead fish and sea bass) exhibited higher Hg concentrations than consumers at lower trophic levels. Mercury bioaccumulation tended to be positively correlated with fish length in mullet, silver pomfret, mackerel, and flathead fish, but was negatively correlated with fish length in sea bass. The Hg concentrations in the muscles of all fish species in Laizhou Bay were within the permissible limits of food safety set by national and international criteria. However, the suggesting maximum consumption of sea bass is 263 g per week for human health.     

Zinc and copper bioaccumulation in fish from Laizhou Bay,the Bohai Sea

Abstract Zinc （Zn） and copper （Cu） concentrations were determined in the tissues （muscle, stomach, liver, gills, skin, and gonads） of five commercial fish species （mullet Liza haematocheilus, flathead Platycephalus indicus, mackerel Scomberomorus niphonius, silver pomfret Pampus argenteus, and sea bass Lateolabrax japonicus） from Laizhou Bay in the Bohai Sea. Metal bioaccumulation was highest in the metabolically active tissues of the gonads and liver. Bioconcentration factors for Zn were higher in all tissues （gonads 44.35, stomach 7.73, gills 7.72, liver 5.61, skin 4.88, and muscle 1.63） than the corresponding values for Cu （gonads 3.50, stomach 3.00, gills 1.60, liver 5.43, skin 1.50, and muscle 0.93）. Mackerel tissues accumulated metal to higher concentrations than did other fish species, but bioaccumulation levels were not significantly correlated with the trophic levels of the fish. Zn and Cu concentrations in the tissues were generally negatively correlated with fish length, except for a few tissues of sea bass. Risk assessment based on national and international permissible limits and provisional tolerances for weekly intake of Zn and Cu revealed that the concentrations of these two metals in muscle were relatively low and would not pose hazards to human health.     

Response of marine microalgae,heterotrophic bacteria and their relationship to enhanced UV-B radiation

Ozone depletion in the stratosphere has enhanced solar UV-B radiation reaching the Earth surface and has brought about significant effects to marine ecosystems. The effects of enhanced UV-B radiation on marine microalgae, heterotrophic bacteria and the interaction between them are discussed. The effects on marine microalgae have been proved to occur at molecular, cellular and population levels. Enhanced UV-B radiation increases microalgal flavonoid content but decreases their chlorophyll content and pho-tosynthesis rate; this rachation induces genetic change and results in DNA damage and change of protein content. There have been fewer studies on the effects of UV-B radiation on marine heterotrophic bacteria. Establishment of a nucroalgal ecological dynamic model at population and community levels under UV-B radiation has gradually become a hotspot. The effects of enhanced UV-B radiation on microalgae communities, heterotrophic bacterial populations and interaction between them will become a focus in the near future. This paper will make an overview on the studies concerning the effects of enhanced UV-B radiation on marine microal-gae and heterotrophic bacteria and the interaction between them.     

A review of heavy metal adsorption by marine algae

ＩＮＴＲＯＤＵＣＴＩＯＮＴｈｅｔｏｘｉｃｉｔｙｏｆｈｅａｖｙｍｅｔａｌｓｒｅｌｅａｓｅｄｉｎｔｏｔｈｅｅｎｖｉｒｏｎｍｅｎｔｈａｓｒｅｃｅｎｔｌｙｔｒｉｇｇｅｒｅｄａｎｕｍｂｅｒｏｆｓｔｕｄｉｅｓａｉｍｉｎｇａｔｔｈｅｒｅｍｏｖａｌｏｆｍｅｔａｌｉｏｎｓｆｒｏｍａｑｕｅｏｕｓｓｏｌｕｔｉｏｎｓ (ＦｏｕｒｅｓｔａｎｄＶｏｌｅｓｋｙ ,1 997;ＦｅｈｒｍａｎｎａｎｄＰｏｈｌ,1 993 ;ＫｕｙｕｃａｋａｎｄＶｏｌｅｓｋｙ,1 989) .Ｉｔｗａｓｆｏｕｎｄｔｈａｔｔｈｅａｃｃｕｍｕｌａｔｉｏｎｏｆｈｅａｖｙｍｅｔａ…     

重金属在不同粒径PM10中的含量与形态

利用WYX 402A型原子吸收分光光度计和Tessler形态分类法研究了Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd、Cr、As重金属在不同粒径PM10中的质量浓度与形态分布。结果表明Cu、Pb、Cd、As质量浓度随粒径增加而减少,Zn、Cr质量浓度在1.1~2.0μm粒径范围内有一峰值,总体上仍表现为随粒径增加而减少。重金属的形态分布表现出各自的特征,反映了其环境活性的不同。颗粒越细,Cu的活性越大;Pb的活性在各粒级中变化不大;Zn的活性随粒径增加而变大;Cd主要以碳酸盐结合态和氧化物结合态为主,且在小颗粒中活性较大;Cr以氧化物结合态和不溶物为主,在各粒级中含量较稳定,环境活性不大;As主要以前3种形态存在,在稳定环境下,其活性随粒径增加而减小。     

Evaluation on environmental quality for heavy metal elements of Xihe soil

According to "Environmental quality standard for soil" and using As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Zn elements as evaluation index, the author evaluated soil environmental quality in Xihe area of Shenyang. The results show that the soil in Xihe area is polluted rifely by heavy metal elements. The polluted areas are mainly distributed near the upstreams of Xihe River, Shenxin River and Shenliao irrigation canal. There exist large distinctions among the heavy metal elements to the pollution degree. Cd pollution area is the biggest and the most serious in pollution degree.     

滨州海岸带土壤和海底沉积物重金属空间分布特征

通过对滨州近海海域海底沉积物测试数据及海岸带陆域土壤地球化学分析,对滨州海岸带陆域土壤和海底沉积物中7种重金属(Hg,Cd,Pb,Cu,Zn,Cr,Ni)的空间分布特征进行了研究,并绘制了各指标含量陆海联合分区图。分析结果表明,滨州市海岸带重金属元素含量基本上均低于国标规定的海洋一类沉积物的最高标准,仅有个别元素含量超过一级标准值,表明局部存在一定的重金属污染。从滨州海岸带重金属含量空间分布上来看,除Hg元素外,其余重金属元素含量呈现一定的规律,基本上陆域含量高于海域含量,且大部分元素都呈现出陆域城镇值高,郊区值低的态势。区内化工企业较发达,Ni,Cr属于中度变异区,Cd,Hg,Pb属于高度变异,受人为影响因素较大,考虑区内土壤及海底沉积物重金属富集主要来源于工业"三废"。     

Evaluation on environmental quality for heavy metal elements of Xihe soil

According to ＂Environmental quality standard for soil＂ and using As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Zn elements as evaluation index, the author evaluated soil environmental quality in Xihe area of Shenyang. The results show that the soil in Xihe area is polluted rifely by heavy metal elements. The polluted areas are mainly distributed near the upstreams of Xihe River, Shenxin River and Shenliao irrigation canal. There exist large distinctions among the heavy metal elements to the pollution degree. Cd pollution area is the biggest and the most serious in pollution degree.     

Chitosan removes toxic heavy metal ions from cigarette mainstream smoke

This study investigated the removal of heavy metal ions from cigarette mainstream smoke using chitosan. Chitosan of various deacetylation degrees and molecular weights were manually added to cigarette filters in different dosages. The mainstream smoke particulate matter was collected by a Cambridge filter pad, digested by a microwave digestor, and then analyzed for contents of heavy metal ions, including As(III/V), Pb(II), Cd(II), Cr(III/VI) and Ni(II), by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). The results showed that chitosan had a removal effect on Pb(II), Cd(II), Cr(III/VI) and Ni(II). Of these, the percent removal of Ni(II) was elevated with an increasing dosage of chitosan. Chitosan of a high deace tylation degree exhibited good binding performance toward Cd(II), Cr(III/VI) and Ni(II), though with poor efficiency for Pb(II). Except As(III/V), all the tested metal ions showed similar tendencies in the growing contents with an increasing chitosan molecular weight. Nonetheless, the percent removal of Cr(III/VI) peaked with a chitosan molecular weight of 200 kDa, followed by a dramatic decrease with an increasing chitosan molecular weight. Generally, chitosan had different removal effects on four out of five tested metal ions, and the percent removal of Cd(II), Pb(II), Cr(III/VI) and Ni(II) was approximately 55%, 45%, 50%, and 16%, respectively. In a word, chitosan used in cigarette filter can remove toxic heavy metal ions in the mainstream smoke, improve cigarette safety, and reduce the harm to smokers.     

湛江港附近海域潮间带海水、沉积物和贝类体内的重金属

于2005年8月对湛江港附近海域潮间带的海水、表层沉积物和贝类体内的重金属进行了分析,结果表明:海水中的砷优于海水水质Ⅰ类标准,而汞、铜、锌、铅、镉均有不同程度的污染,其中铜、铅、镉污染较为严重,均劣于海水水质Ⅳ类标准;表层沉积物中砷的含量低于全国海岸带背景值,而汞、铜、锌、铅、镉均高于全国海岸带背景值,其标准指数分别为1.35、1.66、1.50、2.08、3.10,汞、铜略高于海洋沉积物质量标准第一类标准,有轻微污染,砷、锌、铅均低于海洋沉积物质量标准第一类标准,未受污染,而镉略高于海洋沉积物质量标准第二类标准,环境受镉污染。各元素在各站点的分布没有规律性。牡蛎和蛤仔体内各重金属含量均优于海洋生物污染评价标准和人体消费卫生标准,其卫生质量良好。     

Responses in growth, lipid accumulation, and fatty acid composition of four oleaginous microalgae to different nitrogen sources and concentrations

Nitrogen deficiency is an effective strategy for enhancing lipid production in microalgae. Close relationships exist among lipid production, microalgal species, and nitrogen sources. We report growth, lipid accumulation, and fatty acid composition in four microalgae （Chloroeoccum ellipsoideum UTEX972, Chlorococcum nivale LB2225, Chlorococcum tatrense UTEX2227, and Scenedesmus deserticola JNU19） under nitrate- and urea-nitrogen deficiencies. We found three patterns of response to nitrogen deficiency： Type-A （decrease in biomass and increase in lipid content）, Type-B （reduction in both biomass and lipid content）, and Type-C （enhancement of both biomass and lipid content）. Type-C microalgae are potential candidates for large-scale oil production. Chlorococcum ellipsoideum, for example, exhibited a neutral lipid production of up to 239.6 mg/（L＇d） under urea-nitrogen deficiency. In addition, nitrogen deficiency showed only a slight influence on lipid fractions and fatty acid composition. Our study provides useful information for further screening hyper-lipid microalgal strains for biofuel production.     

Comparative studies of inorganic carbon utilization inEmiliania huxleyi and some non-calcifying marine microalgae

Inorganic carbon utilization in the non-calcifying marine microalgae,Nannochloropsis oculata, Phaeodactylum tricornutum andPorphyridium purpureum was compared with high- and low-calcifying strains ofEmiliania huxleyi grown in artificial seawater medium aerated with either air (0.03% V/V CO₂) or CO₂-free air. For high-calcifying strain ofE. oculata andP. tricornutem, similar growth patterns were observed in air-and CO₂-free air-grown cultures.P. purpureum showed a less final cell density in CO₂-free air than in air-grown culture. However, low-calcifying strain ofE. huxleyi was able to grow only in air-grown culture, but not in CO₂-free air-grown culture. Measurements of alkalinity, pH, concentration of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and free CO₂ showed different patterns of DIC utilization. WithN. oculata, P. tricornutum andP. purpureum the pattern of DIC utilization was characterized by an increase of pH and a decrease of DIC but a constant alkalinity in the cultures aerated with air or CO₂-free air, suggesting that bicarbonate utilization was concomitant with an efflux of OH⁻. Both alkalinity and pH were maintained rather constant in air-grown culture of low-calcifying strain ofE. huxleyi, suggesting that diffusive entry of CO₂ could meet the requirement of DIC for its photosynthesis and growth. High-calcifying strain ofE. huxleyi, however, showed a pattern of decrease of alkalinity and DIC but an almost constant pH, indicating that bicarbonate was the major form of inorganic carbon utilised by this organism and bicarbonate uptake is unlikely to be accompanied by an efflux of OH⁻. The final pH values reached byN. oculata, P. tricornutum andP. purpureum in a closed system were 10.75, 10.60 and 9.85 respectively, showing that bicarbonate utilisation is concomitant with an efflux of OH⁻. While the final pH of 8.4 in high-calcifyingE. huxleyi suggests that bicarbonate utilization was not accompanied by an efflux of OH⁻. Contribution No. 3557 from the Institue of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. This work was supported by NERC grant GRE3/7853 U. K. and partly supported by Bio-Engineering Center, SSTC 96-C01-05-01.     

Adsorption of Heavy Metal Ions, Dyes and Proteins by Chitosan Composites and Derivatives- A Review

Chitosan composites and derivatives have gained wide attentions as effective biosorbents due to their low costs and high contents of amino and hydroxyl functional groups. They have showed significant potentials of removing metal ions, dyes and pro- teins from various media. Chemical modifications that lead to the formation of the chitosan derivatives and chitosan composites have been extensively studied and widely reported in literatures. The aims of this review were to summarize the important information of the bioactivities of chitosan, highlight the various preparation methods of chitosan-based active biosorbents, and outline its potential applications in the adsorption of heavy metal ions, dyes and proteins from wastewater and aqueous solutions.