We successfully synthesized La- and Sm-doped phenanthrene powder samples and observed superconductivity in them at T(c) around 6 K. The T(c)s are 6.1 K for La(1) phenanthrene and 6.0 K for Sm(1) phenanthrene, which are enhanced by about 1 and 0.5 K compared to those in A(3) phenanthrene (A = K and Rb) and in Ae(1.5) phenanthrene (Ae = Sr and Ba) superconductors, respectively. The superconductiv...

Mutagenic nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (nitro-PAHs) have been known to arise in the environment through direct emissions from combustion sources and nitration of PAHs, primarily in the atmosphere. Here, we report the formation of nitro-PAH compounds in fish contaminated with PAH and exposed to nitrite (NO2-) in the ambient water. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometric analysis ...

To investigate the mechanisms by which slender oat (Avena barbata Pott ex Link) enhances phenanthrene biodegradation, we analyzed the impacts of root exudates and root debris on phenanthrene biodegradation and degrader community dynamics. Accelerated phenanthrene biodegradation rates occurred in soils amended with slender oat root exudates as well as combined root debris + root exudate as compa...

The goal of these studies was to determine how sorption by humic acids affected the bioavailability of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to PAH-degrading microbes. Micellar solutions of humic acid were used as sorbents, and phenanthrene was used as a model PAH. Enrichments from PAH-contaminated soils established with nonsorbed phenanthrene yielded a total of 25 different isolates represe...

Adsorption of phenanthrene on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and bioaccessibility of adsorbed phenanthrene were studied in simulated gastrointestinal fluids. Adsorption of phenanthrene on CNTs was suppressed in pepsin (800 mg/L) solution (gastric) and bile salt (500 and 5000 mg/L) fluids (intestinal). In addition to competitive sorption, pepsin and high-concentration bile salt (5000 mg/L, above critic...

This study investigated the effects of the quantity of methylene chloride, used as a carrier solvent for phenanthrene when added to soil, on phenanthrene mineralization kinetics, soil phospholipid fatty add profiles (PLFA), and phenanthrene distribution. Methylene chloride dosages of 25 microL/g soil or more resulted in an enrichment of saturated PLFAs, suggesting soil microorganisms had adjust...

Reduced bioavailability of nonpolar contaminants due to sorption to natural organic matter is an important factor controlling biodegradation of pollutants in the environment. We established enrichment cultures in which solid organic phases were used to reduce phenanthrene bioavailability to different degrees (R. J. Grosser, M. Friedrich, D. M. Ward, and W. P. Inskeep, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. ...

in this study, oxic and anoxic microcosms were constructed with aquifer sediment collected from the vicinity of a municipal solid waste composting site.phenanthrene was used as a model pah compound. the changes of bacterial and archaeal communities in microcosms were characterized with terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism. 16s rrna gene clone library analysis was also used to inves...

The enzymatic mechanisms involved in the degradation of phenanthrene by the white rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus were examined. Phase I metabolism (cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase and epoxide hydrolase) and phase II conjugation (glutathione S-transferase, aryl sulfotransferase, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, and UDP-glucosyltransferase) enzyme activities were determined for mycelial extracts of P....