Zhongbo Wei

Metal accumulation and antioxidant defenses in the freshwater fish Carassius auratus in response to single and combined exposure to cadmium and hydroxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes

The effects of cadmium, hydroxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and their mixture on metal accumulation and antioxidant defenses were studied using the goldfish Carassius auratus as the test organism. The fish were exposed to 0.1 mg/L Cd, 0.5 mg/L OH-MWCNTs, or 0.1 mg/L Cd+0.5 mg/L OH-MWCNTs for 3 and 12 days. Then, the Cd concentration was determined in the gill, liver and muscle. Moreover, hepatic antioxidant enzyme activity (superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase), glutathione level and malondialdehyde content were also measured. A continuous accumulation of Cd was observed throughout the experimental period. Cd accumulation in tissues occurred in the following order: gill>liver>muscle at 3 days and liver>gill>muscle at 12 days. The concentrations of Cd in the livers of fish exposed to the combination of Cd+OH-MWCNTs were significantly higher than those in fish exposed to either single chemical after 12 d of exposure. Meanwhile, the mixture evoked severe oxidative stress in the exposed fish, as indicated by significant inhibition of SOD, CAT and GPx activity, a remarkable decrease in GSH level, and simultaneous elevation of MDA content. These results suggested that the effect of the combined factors on metal accumulation and oxidative stress biomarkers was more obvious than that of single factors at longer exposure durations.

Bioaccumulation of CdTe Quantum Dots in a Freshwater Alga Ochromonas danica: A Kinetics Study

The bioaccumulation kinetics of thioglycolic acid stabilized CdTe quantum dots (TGA-CdTe-QDs) in a freshwater alga Ochromonas danica was comprehensively investigated. Their photoluminescence (PL) was determined by flow cytometry. Its cellular intensity increased hyperbolically with exposure time suggesting real internalization of TGA-CdTe-QDs. This hypothesis was evidenced by the nanoparticle uptake experiment with heat-killed or cold-treated cells and by their localization in the vacuoles. TGA-CdTe-QD accumulation could further be well simulated by a biokinetic model used previously for conventional pollutants. Moreover, macropinocytosis was the main route for their internalization. As limited by their diffusion from the bulk medium to the cell surface, TGA-CdTe-QD uptake rate increased proportionally with their ambient concentration. Quick elimination in the PL of cellular TGA-CdTe-QDs was also observed. Such diminishment resulted mainly from their surface modification by vacuolar biomolecules, considering that these nanoparticles remained mostly undissolved and their expulsion out of the cells was slow. Despite the significant uptake of TGA-CdTe-QDs, they had no direct acute effects on O. danica. Overall, the above research shed new light on nanoparticle bioaccumulation study and would further improve our understanding about their environmental behavior, effects and fate.

Photodegradation of crystal violet in TiO2 suspensions using UV–vis irradiation from two microwave-powered electrodeless discharge lamps (EDL-2): Products, mechanism and feasibility

Aqueous crystal violet (CV) solutions containing P25-TiO(2) photocatalyst were irradiated with ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) light from two microwave-powered electrodeless discharge lamps (EDL(-2)). The results demonstrated that approximately 94.4% of CV was effectively removed after 3 min of irradiation, with a pseudo-first order kinetic constant of 0.838 min(-1). According to 32 kinds of products, a five-step degradation pathway of CV was proposed. Further investigations showed that (1) three kinds of N-demethylated products and 4-dimethylaminobenzophenone (DLBP) were the main intermediates; (2) malachite green (MG) and leuco-crystal violet could not be generated by N-demethylation and phototransformation reactions, respectively; (3) bis(4-(dimethylamino)phenyl)methanone preferentially generated via decomposition of the conjugated structure of CV could be further N-demethylated into DLBP. Moreover, the unique degradation pathways of CV and MG were ascribed to the different substituents on the conjugated structures. Additionally, the cost and kinetic constant of different processes was also evaluated, and the results indicated the feasibility of this method for treatment of CV in field situations.

Assessment of bromide-based ionic liquid toxicity toward aquatic organisms and QSAR analysis

The toxicities of 24 bromide-based ionic liquids (Br-ILs) towards Vibrio fischeri (V. fischeri) and Daphnia magna (D. magna) were determined. These Br-ILs are composed of a bromide ion and a generic cation (i.e., pyrrolidinium, piperidinium, pyridinium or imidazolium) with different alkyl side chains. QSAR models with relatively high correlation coefficients, R(2), of 0.954 and 0.895 were developed for V. fischeri and D. magna. The model for V. fischeri indicated that the Br-IL toxicity towards V. fischeri was negatively correlated with the energy of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (ELUMO) which reflects the electron affinities (EAs) and positively correlated with the volumes of Br-IL cations. For the D. magna model, the Br-IL toxicity was positively correlated with the dipole moment (μ) and negatively correlated with the total energy (TE) that is highly correlated with the molecular volume (V). For Br-ILs with the same cation ring, the toxicity increased as the length of the alkyl chains increased. For the same alkyl chain length, the toxicity order for V. fischeri was pyridinium>imidazolium>piperidinium>pyrrolidinium, except for those containing octyl side chains, while the toxicity ranking for D. magna was imidazolium~pyridinium>piperidinium>pyrrolidinium.

Seasonal variation of phytoplankton nutrient limitation in Lake Taihu, China: A monthly study from Year 2011 to 2012

Lake Taihu is the third largest freshwater lake in China with severe eutrophication issues. However, it remains ambiguous how its phytoplankton growth is limited by various nutrients in different seasons. A series of bottle-enrichment assays in Meiliang Bay was thus performed once a month from July, 2011 to June, 2012 in the present study. The initial chlorophyll a concentration and phytoplankton cell density ranged from 4.70 to 34.6 μg/l and from 1.25×10(6) to 6.72×10(8) cells/l with three peaks in July, November, and March. Although Cyanophyta was dominant (30.9-99.2 percent) in most cases, other phyla like Chlorophyta, Bacillariophyta, and Cryptophyta could account for as much as 69.1 percent of total phytoplankton in cold seasons. The microcystin-LR content in the particulate phase followed a similar seasonal pattern as Cyanophyta. It further went up exponentially with the proportion of cyanobacteria in phytoplankton suggesting more toxigenic species and (or) upregulated microcystin synthesis when the contribution of Cyanophyta was enhanced. On the other hand, the dissolved concentrations of various nitrogen and phosphorus species reached their maxima in late spring and autumn, respectively. According to its growth response to nutrient addition, phytoplankton in Meiliang Bay was restricted by nitrogen in August, October, and November. No nutrient limitation occurred in July, September, and April, whereas phosphorus deficiency prevailed in the other months. Overall, nutrient limitation in Lake Taihu and possibly other aquatic ecosystems worldwide may be more dynamic than what we thought before, which should be considered to eliminate eutrophication.

Effect of different carbon nanotubes on cadmium toxicity to Daphnia magna: The role of catalyst impurities and adsorption capacity.

Experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of four different carbon nanotubes single- and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs and MWCNTs) and hydroxylated and carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (OH-MWCNTs and COOH-MWCNTs) on Cd toxicity to the aquatic organism Daphnia magna. The acute toxicity results indicated that all CNTs could enhance the toxicity of Cd to D. magna. Furthermore, the filtrate toxicity and adsorption tests showed that the toxicity-increasing effect of SWCNTs and MWCNTs in the overall system was mainly caused by catalysts impurities from the pristine CNTs, whereas the greater adsorption of Cd onto OH-MWCNTs (30.52 mg/g) and COOH-MWCNTs (24.93 mg/g) was the key factor contributing to the enhanced toxicity. This result raised a concern that the metal catalyst impurities, adsorption capacities, and accumulation of waterborne CNTs were responsible for the toxicity of Cd to aquatic organism.

Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus on arsenite accumulation, oxidation, and toxicity in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

We studied arsenite (iAs(III)) accumulation, oxidation, and toxicity in the freshwater green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii under nutrient-enriched (+NP), phosphorus-limited (-P), and nitrogen-limited (-N) conditions. The -P alga (55.1 μM) had a Michaelis constant (Kd) for uptake approximately one tenth of the +NP (419 μM) and -N (501 μM) cells, indicating iAs(III) uptake inhibition by extracellular phosphate. This conclusion was supported by the hyperbolic reduction in iAs(III) uptake rate (V) from 9.2 to 0.8 μmol/g-dw/h when the extracellular phosphate concentration went up from 0 to 250 μM. The maximal iAs(III) uptake rate (Vmax) of the -N alga (24.3 μmol/g-dw/h) was twice as much as that of the +NP (12 μmol/g-dw/h) and -P (8.1 μmol/g-dw/h) cells. It implies that more arsenic transporters were synthesized under the -N condition. Once accumulated, iAs(III) was oxidized and a higher proportion of arsenate (iAs(V)) was observed at lower [As]dis or under nutrient-limited conditions. Nevertheless, iAs(III) oxidation mainly occurred outside the cells with the extent of oxidation reciprocal to [As]dis. Based on the logistic modeling of the concentration-response curves in the +NP, -P, and -N toxicity tests, iAs(III) had an [As]dis-based EC50 of 1763, 13.1, and 1208 μM and an intracellular arsenic concentration based EC50 of 35.6, 28.8, and 195 μmol/g-dw, respectively. Higher iAs(III) toxicity to the -P cells occured because of their increased iAs(III) accumulation, whereas the underlying mechanisms why the -N alga was more tolerant need to be further revealed. Overall, both N and P had remarkable effects on the behavior and effects of iAs(III), which cannot be disregarded in the biogeochemical cycling research of arsenic.

Hepatic oxidative stress and catalyst metals accumulation in goldfish exposed to carbon nanotubes under different pH levels

Experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of three different carbon nanotubes [single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), hydroxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (OH-MWCNTs), and carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (COOH-MWCNTs)] on antioxidant parameters and metals accumulation in the liver of Carassius auratus. A semi-static test system was used to expose C. auratus to either a freshwater control, 0.1, or 0.5mg/L CNTs at three pH levels (5.0, 7.25, and 9.0) for 3 and 12 days. The activities of three antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), together with the level of glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined in liver on the 3rd and 12th day. The results showed that there was a significant increase in MDA concentration and SOD activity in fish exposed to CNTs, indicating that CNTs exposure induces an oxidative stress response in fish. According to integrated biomarker response (IBR) index, the effect of these three CNTs on liver can be ordered as SWCNTs>OH-MWCNTs>COOH-MWCNTs and they are more toxic to fish in an alkaline environment. Moreover, the concentrations of catalyst metals (Co, Ni, and Mo) and bioelements (Cu, Fe, Zn, and Se) in liver were changed, depending on the CNTs concentration, the pH level, and the exposure duration. Generally, all CNTs groups showed that catalyst metals could be concentrated significantly into the liver of fish, and changes in hepatic Cu, Zn, Fe, and Se contents are consistent with the activity of antioxidant enzymes.

Treatment of diazo dye C.I. Reactive Black 5 in aqueous solution by combined process of interior microelectrolysis and ozonation

Interior microelectrolysis (IM) as a pretreatment process was effective to treat Reactive Black 5 (RB5) in this study. The removal rates of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon (TOC) and color were 46.05, 39.99 and 98.77%, respectively, when this process was conducted under the following optimal conditions: the volumetric ratio between iron scraps and active carbon (AC) (V(Fe)/V(C)) 1.0, pH 2.0, aeration dosage 0.6 L/min, and reaction time 100 min. Contaminants could be further removed by ozonation. After subsequent ozonation for 200 min, the solution could be completely decolorized, and the COD and TOC removal rates were up to 77.78 and 66.51%, respectively. In addition, acute toxicity tests with Daphnia magna showed that pretreatment by IM generated effluents that were more toxic when compared with the initial wastewater, and the toxicity was reduced after subsequent ozonation.

Impact of carbon nanotubes on the toxicity of inorganic arsenic [AS(III) and AS(V)] to Daphnia magna: The role of certain arsenic species

As a type of emerging nanomaterial, hydroxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (OH-MWCNTs) may interact with other pollutants in the aquatic environments and further influence their toxicity, transport, and fate. Thus, evaluation of toxicity to arsenic in the presence of CNTs needs to receive much more attention. The present study was conducted to explore the underlying mechanisms of OH-MWCNT-induced arsenic (As[III] and As[V]) toxicity changes in the aquatic organism Daphnia magna at different pH levels. The most toxic species for As(III) and As(V) to D. magna were found to be H2 AsO3 (-) and H2 AsO4 (-) . It appeared that the pH values were of greatest importance when the biological toxicity of As(III) and As(V) was compared. Furthermore, the effects of OH-MWCNTs on arsenic toxicity to D. magna indicated that the presence of OH-MWCNTs could enhance the toxicity of arsenic. The interactions of arsenic with OH-MWCNTs were further investigated by conducting adsorption experiments. The adsorption capacity of As(V) by OH-MWCNTs was found to be higher than that of As(III). To conclude, adsorption of certain arsenic species onto OH-MWCNTs is crucial for a reliable interpretation of enhanced toxicity. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;35:1852-1859.