Peptide decomposition by extracellular hydrolysis in coastal seawater and salt marsh sediment

Extracellular peptide hydrolysis rates were measured in seawater and sediment from Flax Pond salt marsh using peptide analogs (LYA-peptides) as substrates. This technique allows the direct measurement of specific hydrolysis products and thus provides insights into enzymatic hydrolysis pathways. In sediments, hydrolysis rate constants of LYA-peptides varied seasonally and with depth. Highest activity was found in spring and summer, and most cores exhibited a subsurface maximum. Calculations using the concentrations of chemically-measured peptides suggested that extracellular hydrolysis of peptides is faster than the rate of free amino acids uptake. However, not all peptides may be available for enzymatic hydrolysis. In both seawater and sediment, extracellular hydrolysis of peptides of up to 8 amino acids yielded smaller peptides and free amino acids. Hydrolysis rates depended on size of the peptide substrate, although a clear relationship with number of amino acid constituents was not evident. Peptides containing >2 amino acids were hydrolyzed 10–400 times faster than dipeptides or the fluorogenic substrate Leucine-MCA. Thus, dipeptidases are either uncommon in nature, or hydrolysis is carried out by nonspecific hydrolases that with a low affinity for dipeptides. This is also suggested by the presence of a lag time before dipeptide hydrolysis begins, and the absence of dipeptide hydrolysis in 0.2-μm-filtered. One implication of this finding is that measurements of hydrolysis rates using substrates like Leu-MCA may not accurately predict the magnitude of hydrolysis rates of macromolecules in the marine environment. Even though dipeptide hydrolysis is slow compared to that of larger peptides, LYA-dipeptides are preferentially produced from the hydrolysis of larger substrates. LYA-dipeptides do not penetrate cell membranes of microorganisms because of their size, but natural dipeptides are smaller and can be transported across the cell membrane. Since dipeptides do not appear to accumulate in natural waters, they must be rapidly removed by microorganisms.     

几种消毒剂对不同发育时期卤虫的影响

研究了几种常用的消毒剂（高锰酸钾、鲁歌氏碘液、新洁尔灭溶液、孔雀石绿）对山西两性卤虫不同发育时期的影响。结果表明：不同发育时期的卤虫对同一试剂有敏感性有明显的不同,其中后无节幼虫是最敏感时期;卡方检验结果表明,卤虫对所用试剂的安全剂量分别是：高锰酸钾≤１ｐｐｍ,鲁歌氏碘液≤１ｐｐｍ,新洁尔灭溶液≤２０ｐｐｍ,孔雀石绿≤０．２ｐｐｍ;由于不同试剂的药理作用不同,因此卤虫对不同试剂的耐受力,并不遵循一     

Study on the relationship between speciation of heavy metals and their ecotoxicity

Heavy metal is a main pollutant in the marine ecosystem, so study on the effect of heavy metal on phytoplankton is important. Algae (Chaetoceros sp.,Dunaliella sp.,Dicrateria zhanjiangenis Hu. var. sp.) were laboratory cultured to observe the effect of heavy metals on their growth. The effect of different metal ion concentration, the detoxication effect of complexation agents and the growth of algae in different media and different nutrition levels were studied to evaluate the effect of metal speciation. It is proved that trace amount of heavy metals can stimulate the growth of algae cells but that high concentration is lethal. The sequence of toxicity is Cd²⁺>Zn²⁺>Pb²⁺. In ordinary nutrition conditions, the detoxication sequence of complexation agents toChaetoceros sp. is EDTA >sodium salicylate>sodium oxalate >sodium citrate>sulfanilic acid>O-phenanthroline. This is in good conformity with the stability constant sequence of these agents with copper and good evidence that toxicity of metal ion is related to its activity and not to its total concentration. Project supported by the Fund of Excellent Young Teachers of State Educational Commission of China.     

Sediment disturbance off the Tagus Estuary, Western Portugal: chronic contamination, sewage outfall operation and runoff events

Sediment disturbance patterns in the coastal area off the Tagus Estuary (Portugal) have been assessed using a set of combined techniques. The potential sources of disturbance in the area include chronic contamination of the fine sediments originating from the estuary, a local input from a long-sea sewage outfall and occasional high runoff episodes following torrential rain. The Sediment Quality Triad approach, combining environmental chemistry (namely organic contaminants), macrofaunal benthic communities and laboratory sediment toxicity assays, was performed on sediment samples from 20 sites. The samples were collected before the outfall commenced operation and four years after commissioning, in order to evaluate the relative magnitudes of the three potential sources of disturbance. The sediment contamination created by the estuary was identified as the most important cause of reduced sediment quality, as disturbance in all three components of the Sediment Quality Triad were only found in a site located near the estuary.     

发光细菌在渔业水域污染物急性毒性快速检测中的应用

以明亮发光杆菌为指示生物,对渔业水域中污染物的急性毒性进行了检测,同时研究了PH值、温度对试验结果的影响。研究表明,发光细菌毒性试验是一种快速、简便的毒性测试方法,在温度20～30℃,pH6.0～9.0条件下所进行的测试,其结果与鱼类毒性试验可以互相替代。     

珠江河口铜、铅、锌、铬和镉对单细胞藻类生长的影响

通过现场采水样和实验室模拟,研究珠江河口环境在一连串变化过程中,当各种浓度的Cu,zn,Pb,Cr和Cd单独存在或共存时,对单细胞藻类——硅藻和扁藻的毒性影响。     

4种重金属离子对海洋三角褐指藻生长影响的研究

于１９９３年４月－１９９３年５月以Ｚｎ＾２＋,Ｃｄ＾２＋,Ｐｂ＾２＋,Ｃｕ＾２＋不同浓度的海水对三角褐指藻进行生长影响的研究。实验表明,Ｃｕ＾２＋对三角褐指藻生长的毒性最大,其９６ｈＥＣ５０为０．０１７ｍｇ／Ｌ。Ｐｂ＾２＋的毒性最小,其９６ｈＥＣ５０为０．４６８ｍｇ／Ｌ。４种重金属离子的毒性顺序是Ｃｕ＾２＋＞Ｃｄ＾２＋＞Ｚｎ＾２＋＞Ｐｂ＾２＋,除Ｃｄ＾２＋外,其他３种金属离子对该单细胞藻的生长安全     

The acute and chronic effects of wastes associated with offshore oil and gas production on temperate and tropical marine ecological processes

A review of the acute and chronic effects of produced formation water (PFW), drilling fluids (muds) including oil-based cutting muds, water-based cutting muds, ester-based cutting muds and chemical additives, and crude oils associated with offshore oil and gas production was undertaken in relation to both temperate and tropical marine ecological processes. The main environmental effects are summarized, often in tabular form. Generally, the temporal and spatial scales of these studies, along with the large levels of inherent variation in natural environments, have precluded our ability to predict the potential long-term environmental impacts of the offshore oil and gas production industry. A series of critical questions regarding the environmental effects of the offshore oil and gas production industry that still remain unanswered are provided for future consideration.