Profiles, exposure assessment and expanded screening of PAHs and their derivatives in one petroleum refinery facility of China.

This study investigated environmental distribution and human exposure of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their derivatives in one Chinese petroleum refinery facility. It was found that, following with high concentrations of 16 EPA PAHs (∑Parent-PAHs) in smelting subarea of studied petroleum refinery facility, total derivatives of PAHs [named as XPAHs, including nitro PAHs (NPAHs), chlorinated PAHs (Cl-PAHs), and brominated PAHs (Br-PAHs)] in gas (mean= 1.57 × 104 ng/m3), total suspended particulate (TSP) (mean= 4.33 × 103 ng/m3) and soil (mean= 4.37 × 103 ng/g) in this subarea had 1.76-6.19 times higher levels than those from other subareas of this facility, surrounding residential areas and reference areas, indicating that petroleum refining processes would lead apparent derivation of PAHs. Especially, compared with those in residential and reference areas, gas samples in the petrochemical areas had higher ∑NPAH/∑PAHs (mean=2.18), but lower ∑Cl-PAH/∑PAHs (mean=1.43 × 10-1) and ∑Br-PAH/∑PAHs ratios (mean=7.49 × 10-2), indicating the richer nitrification of PAHs than chlorination during petrochemical process. The occupational exposure to PAHs and XPAHs in this petroleum refinery facility were 24-343 times higher than non-occupational exposure, and the ILCR (1.04 × 10-4) for petrochemical workers was considered to be potential high risk. Furthermore, one expanded high-resolution screening through GC Orbitrap/MS was performed for soils from petrochemical area, and another 35 PAHs were found, including alkyl-PAHs, phenyl-PAHs and other species, indicating that profiles and risks of PAHs analogs in petrochemical areas deserve further expanded investigation.

A dual-function [Ru(bpy)3]2+ encapsulated metal organic framework for ratiometric Al3+ detection and anticounterfeiting application.

In this work, a novel composite material (HPU-24@Ru) has been prepared by combining a blue-emission Cd-based metal-organic framework (MOF, [Cd2(TCPE)(DMF)(H2O)3]n, HPU-24) with a red-emission tris (2,2'-bipyridine) dichlororuthenium(II) hexahydrate ([Ru(bpy)3]2+) molecule for ratiometric fluorescence sensing of Al3+ ions in aqueous medium and high-level dynamic anticounterfeiting application. The luminescence measurement results indicated that the fluorescence intensity of HPU-24 at 446 nm showed a red shift in the presence of Al3+ ions, and the new peak appeared at 480 nm and continued to increase with an increase in Al3+ ion concentration. Meanwhile, the fluorescence intensity of [Ru(bpy)3]2+ almost showed no change. The detection limit was calculated as 11.63 µM, which was better than that for the MOF-based Al3+ ions in some reported examples in aqueous media and achieved through strong electrostatic interactions between HPU-24@Ru and Al3+ ions. Moreover, owing to the particularity of the tetrastyryl structure in HPU-24, HPU-24@Ru showed intriguing temperature-dependent emission behavior. This unique structure provides the composite material HPU-24@Ru with attributes for high-level information encryption that make it difficult for counterfeiters to identify all of the right decryption measures.

Heterologous Expression and Characterization of an Acidic GH11 Family Xylanase from Hypocrea orientalis.

A gene encoding glycoside hydrolase family 11 xylanase (HoXyn11B) from Hypocrea orientalis EU7-22 was expressed in Pichia pastoris with a high activity (413 IU/ml). HoXyn11B was partly N-glycosylated and appeared two protein bands (19-29 kDa) on SDS-PAGE. The recombinant enzyme exhibited optimal activity at pH 4.5 and 55 °C, and retained more than 90% of the original activity after incubation at 50 °C for 60 min. The determined apparent K m and V max values using beechwood xylan were 10.43 mg/ml and 3246.75 IU/mg, respectively. The modes of action of recombinant HoXyn11B on xylo-oligosaccharides (XOSs) and beechwood xylan were investigated by thin-layer chromatography (TLC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), which indicated that the modes of action of HoXyn11B are different from HoXyn11A since it is able to release a significant amount of xylose from various substrates. This study provides an opportunity to better understand the hydrolysis mechanisms of xylan by xylanases from Trichoderma.