Characteristics of Cd uptake, translocation and accumulation in a novel Cd-accumulating tree, star fruit (Averrhoa carambola L., Oxalidaceae)

Cadmium (Cd) accumulation by terrestrial higher plants is an intriguing phenomenon that may be exploited for phytoextraction of Cd-contaminated soils. Characterizing the physiological processes responsible for elevated concentrations of Cd in shoots is a first step towards a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underlying Cd accumulation in plants and may eventually improve the efficiency of phytoextraction. Woody species that can accumulate Cd have been recently recommended as good candidates for phytoextraction of Cd-contaminated soils. However, little is known about the mechanisms of Cd accumulation by woody species. In an attempt to understand the physiological processes contributing to Cd accumulation in woody species, Cd uptake and translocation by a novel tropical Cd-accumulating tree, star fruit (Averrhoa carambola) were characterized and compared with those of a non-Cd-accumulating tree (Clausena lansium). Our results showed that A. carambola had higher Cd uptake and root-to-shoot translocation efficiencies than C. lansium, which might account for its greater Cd-accumulating capacity. Furthermore, Cd accumulation by A. carambola was not significantly affected by zinc (Zn), whereas Zn accumulation was greatly lowered by Cd. This phenomenon could not be fully explained by a simple competition between Cd²⁺ and Zn²⁺, implying the existence of a transport system with a preference for Cd over Zn. Collectively, our results indicate that A. carambola has noteworthy physiological traits associated with accumulation of Cd to high levels.     

水杨酸对锌胁迫下小麦幼苗生长抑制的缓解效应

以小麦品种‘新麦18’为材料,采用室内水培实验研究了不同浓度水杨酸(SA)处理对300 mg.L-1锌胁迫下小麦种子萌发和幼苗生长的影响。结果表明:在Zn2+胁迫下,小麦种子的发芽势和发芽率、幼苗根长、芽长以及幼苗叶片的可溶性蛋白含量、根系活力显著降低,而脯氨酸和丙二醛(MDA)含量显著增加(P<0.05);外施SA显著提高了Zn2+胁迫下小麦种子的发芽势和发芽率,同时也使Zn2+胁迫7 d后的小麦幼苗的根长、芽长,幼苗叶片的脯氨酸和可溶性蛋白含量以及根系活力显著升高,膜脂过氧化产物MDA含量却显著降低(P<0.05)。由此可见,外施SA可通过提高小麦幼苗根长和芽长来增加幼苗根系活力,通过提高小麦幼苗可溶性蛋白含量、脯氨酸含量来维持细胞膜的稳定性,降低膜脂过氧化伤害程度,从而缓解了Zn2+胁迫对幼苗生长的抑制,并以14 mg.L-1外源水杨酸缓解效果最好。     

Membrane‐Free Zn/MnO2 Flow Battery for Large‐Scale Energy Storage

The traditional Zn/MnO₂ battery has attracted great interest due to its low cost, high safety, high output voltage, and environmental friendliness. However, it remains a big challenge to achieve long‐term stability, mainly owing to the poor reversibility of the cathode reaction. Different from previous studies where the cathode redox reaction of MnO₂/MnOOH is in solid state with limited reversibility, here a new aqueous rechargeable Zn/MnO₂ flow battery is constructed with dissolution–precipitation reactions in both cathodes (Mn²⁺/MnO₂) and anodes (Zn²⁺/Zn), which allow mixing of anolyte and catholyte into only one electrolyte and remove the requirement for an ion selective membrane for cost reduction. Impressively, this new battery exhibits a high discharge voltage of ≈1.78 V, good rate capability (10C discharge), and excellent cycling stability (1000 cycles without decay) at the areal capacity ranging from 0.5 to 2 mAh cm^‐2. More importantly, this battery can be readily enlarged to a bench scale flow cell of 1.2 Ah with good capacity retention of 89.7% at the 500th cycle, displaying great potential for large‐scale energy storage.     

Toward a Reversible Mn4+/Mn2+ Redox Reaction and Dendrite‐Free Zn Anode in Near‐Neutral Aqueous Zn/MnO2 Batteries via Salt Anion Chemistry

Rechargeable aqueous Zn/MnO₂ batteries are very attractive large‐scale energy storage technologies, but still suffer from limited cycle life and low capacity. Here the novel adoption of a near‐neutral acetate‐based electrolyte (pH ≈ 6) is presented to promote the two‐electron Mn⁴⁺/Mn²⁺ redox reaction and simultaneously enable a stable Zn anode. The acetate anion triggers a highly reversible MnO₂/Mn²⁺ reaction, which ensures high capacity and avoids the issue of structural collapse of MnO₂. Meanwhile, the anode‐friendly electrolyte enables a dendrite‐free Zn anode with outstanding stability and high plating/stripping Coulombic efficiency (99.8%). Hence, a high capacity of 556 mA h g^?1, a lifetime of 4000 cycles without decay, and excellent rate capability up to 70 mA cm^?2 are demonstated in this new near‐neutral aqueous Zn/MnO₂ battery by simply manipulating the salt anion in the electrolyte. The acetate anion not only modifies the surface properties of MnO₂ cathode but also creates a highly compatible environment for the Zn anode. This work provides a new opportunity for developing high‐performance Zn/MnO₂ and other aqueous batteries based on the salt anion chemistry.     

Rational Design of Core@shell Structured CoSx@Cu2MoS4 Hybridized MoS2/N,S‐Codoped Graphene as Advanced Electrocatalyst for Water Splitting and Zn‐Air Battery

A novel hybrid of small core@shell structured CoS_x@Cu₂MoS₄ uniformly hybridizing with a molybdenum dichalcogenide/N,S‐codoped graphene hetero‐network (CoS_x@Cu₂MoS₄‐MoS₂/NSG) is prepared by a facile route. It shows excellent performance toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline medium. The hybrid exhibits rapid kinetics for ORR with high electron transfer number of ≈3.97 and exciting durability superior to commercial Pt/C. It also demonstrates great potential with remarkable stability for HER and OER, requiring low overpotential of 118.1 and 351.4 mV, respectively, to reach a current density of 10 mA cm^?2. An electrolyzer based on CoS_x@Cu₂MoS₄‐MoS₂/NSG produces low cell voltage of 1.60 V and long‐term stability, surpassing a device of Pt/C + RuO₂/C. In addition, a Zn‐air battery using cathodic CoS_x@Cu₂MoS₄‐MoS₂/NSG catalyst delivers a high cell voltage of ≈1.44 V and a power density of 40 mW cm^?2 at 58 mA cm^?2, better than the state‐of‐the‐art Pt/C catalyst. These achievements are due to the rational combination of highly active core@shell CoS_x@Cu₂MoS₄ with large‐area and high‐porosity MoS₂/NSG to produce unique physicochemical properties with multi‐integrated active centers and synergistic effects. The outperformances of such catalyst suggest an advanced candidate for multielectrocatalysis applications in metal‐air batteries and hydrogen production.     

3种湿地植物对锌的吸收分配及其与根表铁氧化物胶膜的关系

在室内培养条件下,以灯心草、茭白和美人蕉3种湿地植物为材料,研究了湿地植物对锌的吸收分配能力与根表铁氧化物胶膜之间的关系.结果表明:(1)3种湿地植物积累锌的总量大小顺序为:茭白>美人蕉>灯心草,茭白积累锌的总量是灯心草的1.79倍;它们根表铁氧化物胶膜含量表现为灯心草>茭白>美人蕉,且其间存在显著差异(P<0.05).(2)锌在湿地植物中分配比例表现为;根中锌量>地上部分锌量>根表铁氧化物胶膜上吸附锌量;锌主要积累在湿地植物根中,地上部分和根表铁氧化物胶膜上吸附的锌量无显著差异.(3)湿地植物根表铁氧化物胶膜上吸附锌的数量与湿地植物地下部分锌含量呈极显著正相关(r=0.983 5**),增加根表铁氧化物胶膜上锌的数量就能明显提高地下部分锌含量;每千克土壤加入1 g FeSO4后,3种湿地植物积累锌的总量平均增加了21%.可见,湿地植物根表铁氧化物胶膜对锌的吸附也是湿地植物固定或积累锌的重要途径之一.     

Effects of zinc toxicity on sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) plants grown in hydroponics

The effects of high Zn concentration were investigated in sugar beet ( Beta vulgaris L.) plants grown in a controlled environment in hydroponics. High concentrations of Zn sulphate in the nutrient solution (50, 100 and 300 μ m ) decreased root and shoot fresh and dry mass, and increased root/shoot ratios, when compared to control conditions (1.2 μ m Zn). Plants grown with excess Zn had inward-rolled leaf edges and a damaged and brownish root system, with short lateral roots. High Zn decreased N, Mg, K and Mn concentrations in all plant parts, whereas P and Ca concentrations increased, but only in shoots. Leaves of plants treated with 50 and 100 μ m Zn developed symptoms of Fe deficiency, including decreases in Fe, chlorophyll and carotenoid concentrations, increases in carotenoid/chlorophyll and chlorophyll a / b ratios and de-epoxidation of violaxanthin cycle pigments. Plants grown with 300 μ m Zn had decreased photosystem II efficiency and further growth decreases but did not have leaf Fe deficiency symptoms. Leaf Zn concentrations of plants grown with excess Zn were high but fairly constant (230–260 μg·g⁻¹ dry weight), whereas total Zn uptake per plant decreased markedly with high Zn supply. These data indicate that sugar beet could be a good model to investigate Zn homeostasis mechanisms in plants, but is not an efficient species for Zn phytoremediation.     

EFFECTS OF COPPER-ENRICHED COMPOSTS APPLIED TO COPPER-DEFICIENT SOIL ON THE YIELD AND COPPER AND ZINC UPTAKE OF WHEAT

A pot experiment and a field experiment were conducted to investigate Cu-enriched composts made from Elsholtzia splendens plants as basal fertilizers to correct Cu deficiency in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown in Cu-deficient soils. An application of the compost significantly increased plant height, biomass, grain yield, and 1000-grain weight. In the pot experiment, plant height and shoot biomass in the 2% Cu-rich compost treatment increased 0.8- and 5.2-fold compared with the chemical fertilizer treatment at the mature stage. Compared to chemical fertilizer control, the 2% Cu-enriched compost addition increased grain yield per pot by about 9.5-fold and 1000-grain weight by about 50%. In the field study, the compost also showed stimulatory effects on plant growth and grain yield. The results indicate that composting E. splendens plants grown in a Cu-contaminated soil and then applying the compost to a Cu-deficient soil may be an effective technique for the remediation of contaminated soils and redistribution of the copper as a plant nutrient for copper-deficient soils.     

有机物料对喀斯特地区石灰土有效N、Fe、Zn含量的影响

为研究不同有机物料对喀斯特石灰土元素有效性的影响,采用40 d的室内培养实验,比较了单独添加不同比例（1%、3%、5%）的生物质炭、鸡粪肥、羊粪肥对喀斯特石灰土有效N、Fe、Zn含量的影响。结果表明：添加生物质炭提高了喀斯特石灰土的pH值,而添加鸡粪肥和羊粪肥降低了喀斯特石灰土的pH值;添加3种有机物料均增加了喀斯特石灰土的有机质含量,大小关系为：生物质炭 > 鸡粪肥 > 羊粪肥,但添加鸡粪肥和羊粪肥土壤有机质的化学活性和微生物活性更高。受pH、有机质活性、碳氮比等因素的影响,添加鸡粪肥和羊粪肥能增加土壤有效N含量,但两种有机肥对土壤有效N的提高效果相差不大,而添加生物质炭反而降低了土壤有效N的含量;3种有机物料均能提高土壤的有效Fe和有效Zn含量,其中鸡粪肥效果最佳,其次为羊粪肥和生物质炭。当3种有机物料的添加比例为5%时,生物质炭处理土壤的有效N、Fe、Zn含量分别是对照处理的0.92、1.13、1.21倍;鸡粪肥处理土壤的有效N、Fe、Zn含量分别是对照处理的1.22、1.63和3.39倍;羊粪肥处理土壤的有效N、Fe、Zn含量分别是对照处理的1.27、1.34和2.59倍。所以,相对于生物质炭,有机粪肥对喀斯特地区的石灰土有更好的改良效果。     

The bioleaching feasibility for Pb/Zn smelting slag and community characteristics of indigenous moderate-thermophilic bacteria

The feasibility of recovering metal values and removing hazardous elements from the Pb/Zn smelting slag using bioleaching technique were studied through a flask experiment, and the community characteristics of the indigenous moderate-thermophilic bacteria in this bioleaching system were also analyzed through a culture-independent restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of 16S rRNA genes approach. The results show that more than 80% of Al, As, Cu, Mn, Fe and Zn in the Pb/Zn smelting slag were leached at 65 ^oC, pH 1.5, pulp density 5%, but only about 5% of Pb. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the bacteria in the bioleaching system mainly fell among Firmicutes, Gammaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria, and the dominant bacteria are affiliated with Bacillus spp., Sporosarcina spp. and Pseudomonas spp.