Recovery from Mercury Contamination in the Second Songhua River, China.

Mercury pollution in the Second Songhua River (SSR) was serious in the last century due to effluent from a chemical corporation. Effects of riverine self-purification on mercury removal were studied by comparing monitoring data of mercury concentrations varieties in water, sediment, and fish in the past, about 30 years. The present work suggested that a river of such a size like the SSR possessed the potential ability to recover from mercury pollution under the condition that mercury sources were cut off, though it needs a very long time, which might be several decades or even a century of years. During the 30 years with no effluent containing mercury input, total mercury (T-Hg) of water and sediment in some typical segments, mostly near the past effluent outlet, had decreased radically but still higher than the background values, though the decrease amplitudes were over 90% compared with that in 1975. T-Hg had decreased by more than 90% in most fishes, but some were still not suitable for consumption. Methylmercury concentrations (MeHg) of water, sediment, and fish were higher or close to the background levels in 2004. In the coming decades, the purification processes in the SSR would be steady and slow for a long period.

A Chinese pedigree of cerebral autosomal recessive arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CARASIL): clinical and radiological features.

Cerebral autosomal recessive arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CARASIL) is a rare hereditary cerebral vascular disease thought to be confined to Japan. This paper reports a Chinese pedigree of CARASIL in which two patients exhibited all of the typical clinical features of the disease. The radiological features are also discussed and compared with those of CADASIL. These cases illustrate the unique clinical and radiological features of CARASIL and challenge the idea that CARASIL is limited to the Japanese population.

Bioaccumulation of total and methyl mercury by arthropods.

Three arthropods, Locusta migratoria manilensis, Acrida chinensis, and Paraten-odera sinensis were selected to study the bioaccumulation of total and methyl mercury. Concentrations of total mercury in the tissues of Locusta migratoria manilensis and Acrida chinensis were 0.013-0.154 and 0.009-0.138 mg/kg, respectively, while those of methylmercury were 0.001-0.012 and 0.001-0.006 mg/kg, respectively. Concentrations of total mercury in Locusta migratoria manilensis and Acrida chinensis, which are the primary consumers, are lower than those in their food, while mercury is accumulated more by the secondary consumer, Paraten-odera sinensis. For total mercury, the concentrations in Locusta migratoria manilensis are inversely proportional to body length and those in Acrida chinensis increase first and then decrease with increased body length. For methyl mercury, concentration is proportional to body length for both of these arthropods. Total mercury concentrations vary in different parts of the arthropod body, and increase in the order of: abdomen > thorax > head.

[Eluents of non-suppressed ion exchange chromatography with conductometric detection].

A review with 64 references is presented on eluents for non-suppressed ion exchange chromatography with conductometric detection. The kinds of characteristics of eluents in non-suppressed anion exchange chromatography and non-suppressed cation exchange chromatography are described separately.

Thalifaberidine, a cytotoxic aporphine-benzylisoquinoline alkaloid from Thalictrum faberi.

From Thalictrum faberi, thalifaberidine [1], a new aporphine-benzylisoquinoline alkaloid, together with four known alkaloids, thalifaramine [2], thalifaricine [3], thalifarazine [4], and thalifaronine [5], were isolated. Thalifaberidine [1] was identified as 6',8-desmethylthalifaberine, and its 1H- and 13C-nmr data were completely assigned through the use of one- and two-dimensional nmr techniques. Thalifaberidine [1], thalifaberine [6], and thalifasine [7] showed cytotoxic activity against several human cancer cell lines, as well as antimalarial activity.