Magnetic removal techniques using functionalized magnetic nanoparticles as adsorbents have been frequently tested for use in the removal of heavy metals in aqueous solution, but seldom in farmland soil. Here, a novel magnetic microparticle solid chelator (MSC) was employed as the adsorbent for magnetic removal and/or immobilization of Cd and Zn in a paddy soil (PS), an upland soil (US), and a paddy–upland rotation soil (RS) with different degrees of pollution.
Materials and methods
MSC was applied to 14 kg air-dried soil samples (PS, US, and RS) at the dosage of 1% (w/w), and then watered, and intermittently stirred. Finally, the MSC–metal complexes were retrieved using a magnetic device (MCR treatment) or not (MC treatment), and the removal efficiency of soil Cd and Zn in MCR treatment was evaluated. After magnetic separation of MSC–metal complexes, pot experiments were performed to investigate the impacts of the magnetic remediation process on rice growth, the phytoavailability of soil Cd and Zn, and the accumulation of Cd and Zn in rice plants.
Results and discussion
The MCR treatment exhibited recovery rates of 55.4%, 49.6%, and 19.0% for MSC–metal complexes in PS, US, and RS, respectively, which brought about removal efficiencies of 2.2–12.2% for Cd and 1.9–4.6% for Zn. The MC and MCR treatments substantially decreased the availability of soil Cd, but not soil Zn; this effect was more remarkable when using CaCl2 instead of DTPA as the extractant for determination of bioavailable metals. Furthermore, the CaCl2-extractable Cd and Zn had a more significant relationship with Cd and Zn concentrations in rice roots. The MC and MCR treatments led to dramatic reductions in rice grain Cd of 23.9–72.1% and 37.3–63.9%, respectively, in the three soils relative to the respective controls. The MC and MCR treatments also exhibited an inhibitory effects on rice grain Zn accumulation in US (10.6% and 4.3% decreases, respectively) and RS (9.3% and 19.5% decreases, respectively), but not in PS. Moreover, the grain yield was unaffected under the MCR treatment in the three soils, and significantly increased by 29.8% under the MC treatment in US.
Conclusions
Our study suggests that MSC-based magnetic remediation technique can effectively immobilize and/or remove Cd and Zn in farmland soils, decreasing their uptake by rice plants, with no adverse effects on grain yield.
Removal of diseased plants (roguing) is commonly practiced in seed potato production. Diseased plants left to desiccate in fields could possibly serve as sources of Potato virus Y (PVY). PVY acquisition by three aphid species (Myzus persicae, Rhopalosiphum padi, Aphis fabae) was evaluated with leaflets from rogued plants for seven days. Results showed greater PVY acquisition rates in non-colonizing aphids species compared to colonizing ones. The proportion of aphids leaving leaflets increased with time (i.e. days after plants were uprooted) and some aphids were carrying PVY in their stylets on each of the seven days of the experiment, suggesting that aphids were able to probe and acquire PVY even when plants wilted. These results confirmed that diseased plants left in fields can serve as a source of PVY for aphids even after they wilted and emphasises that proper actions must be taken to efficiently remove diseased plants from fields. 相似文献
Non-infectious prenatal mortality severely affects the porcine industry, with pathological placentation as a likely key reason. Previous studies have demonstrated that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) deficiency causes defects in the uteroplacental vasculature and induces embryonic losses in mice. However, its role in porcine placental angiogenesis remains unclear. In the present study, PPARγ expression was investigated in porcine uteroplacental tissues at gestational day (GD) 25, GD40 and GD70 via quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), Western blot and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Moreover, the roles of PPARγ in porcine placental angiogenesis were investigated using a cell model of porcine umbilical vein endothelial cells (PUVECs) to conduct proliferation, migration and tube formation assays in vitro and a mouse xenograft model to assess capillary formation in vivo. The results showed that PPARγ was mainly located in the glandular epithelium, trophoblast, amniotic chorion epithelium and vascular endothelium, as indicated by the higher expression levels at GD25 and GD40 than at GD70 in endometrium and by higher expression levels at GD40 and GD70 than at GD25 in placenta. Moreover, PPARγ expression was significantly downregulated in placenta with dead foetus. In PUVECs, knocking out PPARγ significantly inhibited proliferation, migration and tube formation in vitro and inhibited capillary formation in mouse xenografts in vivo by blocking S-phase, promoting apoptosis and downregulating the angiogenic factors of VEGF and its receptors. Overall, the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of PPARγ expression in porcine uteroplacental tissue suggests its vital role in endometrial remodelling and placental angiogenesis, and PPARγ regulates placental angiogenesis through VEGF-mediated signalling. 相似文献
