State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology
facilityBeijing, China
Research output, citation impact, and the most-cited recent papers from State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology. Aggregated across the NobleBlocks index of 300M+ scholarly works.
Top-cited papers from State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology
We review the uptake, translocation and transformation of metal based nanoparticles in higher plants, and present advanced analytical techniques and future perspectives in this field.
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are the nanomaterials most widely used as antimicrobial agents in a range of consumer products, due to the environmental release of either the AgNPs themselves or silver ions. Although AgNPs appear to be more potent than silver ions, the mechanism behind the activity is not fully elucidated yet. The most common mechanism of toxicity of AgNPs proposed to date is the release of silver ions and/or the particle-specific functions. In this study, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (a model for Gram-negative bacteria) was treated with AgNPs, and its proteomic response was comprehensively characterized to elucidate the antimicrobial mechanism of AgNPs in the microorganism. In total, 59 silver-regulated proteins (27 up-regulated and 32 down-regulated proteins) and 5 silver-binding proteins were identified. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that interference with the cell-membrane function and generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were the main pathways for the antibacterial effect. The pattern of membrane proteins regulated by AgNPs was similar to that found for silver ions. In addition, the same silver-binding proteins were obtained with both AgNPs and silver ions, which indicated that AgNPs probably affect the cell membrane and react with proteins by releasing silver ions. The elevation of intracellular ROS relative to that with silver ions confirmed oxidative damage caused by AgNPs, which may be ascribed to the nano-characteristics and higher uptake efficiency of the particles. These results demonstrate that the antimicrobial activity of AgNPs is due to the synergistic action of release of dissolved silver ions and particle-specific effects. The proteomic analysis of silver-binding and silver-regulated proteins in the present study provides insight into the mechanism of antimicrobial activity of such nanomaterials.
Monodisperse manganese oxide honeycomb and hollow nanospheres have been prepared facilely at room temperature by varying the molar ratio of KMnO 4 and oleic acid. These new nanomaterials were characterized by XRD, SEM, EDS, TEM, and BET measurements. They had robust nanostructures and were stable even after ultrasonic treatment (40 kHz, 120 W) for 30 min. A plausible mechanism of the formation of manganese oxide nanostructures was proposed. The manganese oxide nanomaterials showed high catalytic activities for oxidative decomposition of formaldehyde at low temperatures. Complete conversion of formaldehyde to CO 2 and H 2 O could be achieved, and harmful byproducts were not detected in effluent gases. The catalytic activity of manganese oxide hollow nanospheres was much higher than that of honeycomb nanospheres, although the surface area of the latter was nearly 2 times as high as that of the former. The mechanism of such morphology-dependent catalytic activity was discussed in detail. The catalytic activities of the obtained manganese oxide nanospheres were also significantly higher than those of previously reported manganese oxide octahedral molecular sieve (OMS-2) nanorods, MnO x powders, and alumina-supported manganese-palladium oxide catalysts. Potential applications and future research efforts were proposed.
Engineered nanomaterials such as ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) will inevitably enter the environment because of the large quantities produced and their widespread application.
Heterostructured composites with outstanding photocatalytic performance have attracted intense attention because of their great potential for use in environmental remediation.
The influence of environmental transformation on the toxicity of metal nanoparticles and possible mechanisms are recapitulated and discussed.
Although ferroptosis is an iron-dependent cell death mechanism involved in the development of some severe diseases (e.g., Parkinsonian syndrome, stroke and tumours), the combination of nanotechnology with ferroptosis for the treatment of these diseases has attracted substantial research interest. However, it is challenging to differentiate nanoparticle-induced ferroptosis from other types of cell deaths (e.g., apoptosis, pyroptosis, and necrosis), elucidate the detailed mechanisms and identify the key property of nanoparticles responsible for ferroptotic cell deaths. Therefore, a summary of these aspects from current research on nano-ferroptosis is important and timely. In this review, we endeavour to summarize some convincing techniques that can be employed to specifically examine ferroptotic cell deaths. Then, we discuss the molecular initiating events of nanosized ferroptosis inducers and the cascade signals in cells, and therefore elaborate the ferroptosis mechanisms. Besides, the key physicochemical properties of nano-inducers are also discussed to acquire a fundamental understanding of nano-structure-activity relationships (nano-SARs) involved in ferroptosis, which may facilitate the design of nanomaterials to deliberately tune ferroptosis. Finally, future perspectives on the fundamental understanding of nanoparticle-induced ferroptosis and its applications are provided.
This study was undertaken to provide an insight into the effect of heterogeneous soil organic matter (SOM) on the sorption of phenanthrene. Humic acid (HA) and humin were extracted from a peat soil. Humin was further fractionated into bound-humic acid (BHA), lipid, and insoluble residue (IR) fractions. Heterogeneous natures of these fractions were characterized by elemental analysis, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and solid-state 13C NMR. Aliphaticity of the fractions followed the order lipid >BHA > HA > IR, while the polarity order was IR > BHA> HA > lipid. Sorption of phenanthrene on these fractions fitted the Freundlich equation, suggesting that phenanthrene sorption isotherms of lipid were almost linear (N = 0.993), while those of HA, BHA, and IR were nonlinear, with N values ranging from 0.723 to 0.910. The N values followed the order lipid > HA > BHA > IR and were significantly correlated inversely with their polarities (p < 0.05). Organic carbon-normalized sorption coefficients (K(FOC)) were independent of aliphatic or aromatic contents of the SOM fractions. The results suggested that SOM, especially for the humin fractions, was highly heterogeneous in terms of elemental composition, structure, and polarity. Such heterogeneity was considered to be responsible forthe nonlinear sorption of phenanthrene.
Nanotechnology is having a tremendous impact on our society. However, societal concerns about human safety under nanoparticle exposure may derail the broad application of this promising technology. Nanoparticles may enter the human body via various routes, including respiratory pathways, the digestive tract, skin contact, intravenous injection, and implantation. After absorption, nanoparticles are carried to distal organs by the bloodstream and the lymphatic system. During this process, they interact with biological molecules and perturb physiological systems. Although some ingested or absorbed nanoparticles are eliminated, others remain in the body for a long time. The human body is composed of multiple systems that work together to maintain physiological homeostasis. The unexpected invasion of these systems by nanoparticles disturbs normal cell signaling, impairs cell and organ functions, and may even cause pathological disorders. This review examines the comprehensive health risks of exposure to nanoparticles by discussing how nanoparticles perturb various physiological systems as revealed by animal studies. The potential toxicity of nanoparticles to each physiological system and the implications of disrupting the balance among systems are emphasized.
An international workshop identified how pore structures and unique properties that emerge at nano- to sub-nano- size domains can improve the energy efficiency and selectivity of electroseparation or electrocatalytic processes for treating water.
Humic acid alleviates the toxicity of nanoplastic particles by altering the chemistry and distribution pattern of nanoplastic particles in<italic>Daphnia magna</italic>.
Methylation of the fifth position of cytosine (5mC) is an important epigenetic modification of DNA. It has been shown that the oxidized derivatives of 5mC, namely 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), 5-formylcytosine (5fC), and 5-carboxylcytosine (5caC), are in dynamic existence and have distinct regulatory functions. In the current study, we investigated whether there are changes in the contents of all three 5mC-oxidized derivatives in the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) genome and further explored the underlying mechanisms. We showed that both global genomic 5hmC and 5fC contents were decreased significantly in the very early stage (stage 0, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer [BCLC] staging) of HCC compared with those of paratumor tissues. Noteworthily, 5fC content continued to decrease in the late stage (BCLC staging from 0 to A) of HCC. The 5caC content in HCC tissues was below the detection threshold. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was associated with 5mC, 5hmC, or 5fC decrease in HCC; and measurements in cell lines integrated with or without HBV DNA showed consistent results. On the other hand, both the expression level of ten-eleven translocation enzyme 2 (TET2) and α-ketoglutarate content were decreased significantly in HCC. The significantly positive correlations among the expression levels of DNA methylation-related enzymes in paratumor tissues were generally attenuated or even disappeared in HCC tumor tissues. The decreases of both 5hmC and 5fC contents in genomic DNA were associated with poor prognosis of HCC patients. Conclusion: Global 5hmC and 5fC contents were decreased significantly in the very early stage of HCC; the decrease of 5hmC and 5fC was mainly due to the decrease of 5mC and associated with HBV infection, decreased TET enzyme activity, and uncoordinated expression of DNA methylation-related enzymes.
Lake sediments are an important reservoir for toxic and hydrophobic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Monitoring of PAHs in sediment is helpful to understand pollution mechanisms and anthropogenic activities. This study reviews studies of PAHs in lake sediments published during 2002-2018. The studies' findings are analyzed, distributions of PAHs in lake sediments are summarized, and the applicability of lake sediments for tracking changes in PAH emission sources is emphasized. Lake sediments heavily polluted with PAHs are distributed in China, Egypt, the USA, and some urban lakes in Africa. The high levels of PAHs are predominantly associated with human activities such as anthropogenic combustion, petroleum industries, road traffic, and socioeconomic factors. However, the concentrations of sedimentary PAHs in most lakes were below the international guideline values.
Herein, three functional factors inducing photocatalytic ability were artfully integrated into a covalent organic framework (COF), where triazine units served as photoactive centers, cyclic ketone units served as electron-withdrawing moieties, and the conjugated structure served as a photoelectron shift platform. This COF with segregated donor-acceptor alignments exhibits an excellent visible-light photocatalytic capacity for the decomposition of organic pollutants.
Engineered nanomaterials alone or in combination with other technologies may improve<italic>in situ</italic>subsurface remediation of legacy and emerging contaminants.
Surface bonding chemistry regulated by facet specific active sites is the intrinsic nature of facet-dependent arsenic adsorption on Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> facets.
The occurrence and distribution of 22 antibiotics, including eight fluoroquinolones, nine sulfonamides and five macrolides, were investigated in the urban surface waters in Beijing, China. A total of 360 surface water samples were collected from the main rivers and lakes in the urban area of Beijing monthly from July 2013 to June 2014 (except the frozen period). Laboratory analyses revealed that antibiotics were widely used and extensively distributed in the surface water of Beijing, and sulfonamides and fluoroquinolones were the predominant antibiotics with the average concentrations of 136 and 132 ng L(-1), respectively. A significant difference of antibiotic concentrations from different sampling sites was observed, and the southern and eastern regions of Beijing showed higher concentrations of antibiotics. Seasonal variation of the antibiotics in the urban surface water was also studied, and the highest level of antibiotics was found in November, which may be due to the low temperature and flow of the rivers during the period of cold weather. Risk assessment showed that several antibiotics might pose high ecological risks to aquatic organisms (algae and plants) in surface water, and more attention should be paid to the risk of antibiotics to the aquatic environment in Beijing.
A novel heterostructure of TiO<sub>2</sub> modified Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> (TiO<sub>2</sub>/Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub>) acicular nanowire (NW) arrays has been fabricated. After decoration of TiO<sub>2</sub> the TiO<sub>2</sub>/Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> NW array sensor exhibits a much higher response to ethanol compared with the Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> NW sensor.
Enhanced production and adsorption of atomic H* for efficient electrocatalytic dechlorination of TCAA with a Pd/rGO composite electrode.
Stable hierarchical microspheres composed of one-dimensional Fe–gallic acid MOFs were synthesized to quickly and efficiently remove Cr(<sc>vi</sc>) from water.