Environmental pollution of fluoroquinolones and its relationship with nitrogen cycling mediated by microorganisms.

Fluoroquinolone antibiotics (FQs) are one of the most widely used antibiotics, which are new pollutants with 'pseudo persistence' in the environment, causing great ecological risks. FQs could change the structure and function of microbial communities and affect nitrogen cycling mediated by microorganisms. Consequently, FQs would change the composition of various types of nitrogen in the environment and exert a significant impact on the global nitrogen cycling. We encapsulated the distribution of FQs in the environment and its impacts on nitrogen cycling mediated by microorganisms, explained the role of FQs in each key process of nitrogen cycling, aiming to provide an important reference for revealing the ecological effects of FQs. Generally, FQs could be detected in various environmental media, with significant differences in the concentration and types of FQs in different environments. Ofloxacin, norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and enrofloxacin are the four types of FQs with the highest detection frequency and concentration. The effect of FQs on nitrogen cycling deeply depends on typical characteristics of concentration and species. FQs mainly inhibit nitrification by reducing the abundance of amoA gene related to ammoxidation process and the abundance and composition of ammoxidation bacteria. FQs inhibits nitrification by reducing the abundance and composition of microbial communities. The denitrification process is mainly inhibited due to the reduction of the activity of related enzymes and the abundance of genes such as narG, nirS, norB, and nosZ genes, as well as the abundance and composition of denitrifying functional microorganisms. The process of anammox is restricted due to the reduction of the abundance, composition and hzo gene abundance of anaerobic anammox bacteria. FQs lead to the reduction of active nitrogen removal and the increase of N2O release in the environment, with further environmental problems such as water eutrophication and greenhouse effect. In the future, we should pay attention to the effects of low concentration FQs and complex antibiotics on the nitrogen cycling, and focus on the effects of FQs on the changes of nitrogen cycle-related microbial monomers and communities.

Behavioral and ecotoxicology of sulfonamide metabolites in the aquatic environment.

Sulfonamides (SAs) are the first broad-spectrum synthetic antimicrobial agents used in human health and veterinary medicine. The majority of SAs entering human body is discharged into aquatic environment in the form of parent material or metabolites. The residues of SAs and their metabolites in the aquatic environment and the development of drug resistance can be serious threats to ecosystems and human health. We summarized recent advances in the research of SAs. The main metabolite types of SAs and the distribution characteristics of metabolites in different aquatic environments were introduced. The ecotoxicology of SAs metabolites, especially the distribution and hazards of sulfonamide resistance genes (sul-ARGs), were discussed with emphasis. Finally, the future research works were proposed. This paper could provide basic information for further research on SAs.

Biogeochemical behavior and ecological environmental effects of fluoroquinolones.

Synthetic fluoroquinolones (FQs) are the third most commonly used antibiotics in the world and play an extremely important role in antibacterial drugs. The excessive use and discharge will alter ecological environment, with consequence on human health and global sustainable development. It is therefore of great significance for scientific use and management of FQs to systematically understand their biogeochemical behavior and eco-environmental effects. After drug administration in humans and animals, only a small part of FQs are transformed in vivo. The main transformation processes include formylation, acetylation, oxidation and cleavage of piperazine ring, defluorination and decarboxylation of aromatic core ring, etc. About 70% of the original drug and a small amount of transformed products would be migrated to the environment through excretion. After entering the environment, FQs and their transformation products mainly exist in environmental media such as water, soil and sediment, and undergo migration and transformation processes such as adsorption, photolysis and biodegradation. Adsorption facilitates transfer of FQs from medium to another. The photolysis mainly affects the C7-amine substituents of FQs, whereas the core structure of FQs remains intact. Biodegradation mainly refers to the degradation of FQs by microorganisms and microalgae, including piperazine modification of the piperazine ring such as acetylation and formylation, partial or complete ring cleavage, core structure decarboxylation, defluorination and conjugation formation. The migration and transformation processes of FQs cannot completely eliminate them from the environment. Instead, they would become "pseudo-persistent" pollutants, which seriously affect the behavior, growth and reproduction of algae, crustaceans and fish, change biogeochemical cycle, destroy aquatic environment, and stimulate microbial resistance and the generation of resistance genes. In the future, more in-depth studies should be conducted on the environmental behavior of FQs and their impacts on ecological environment, the risk assessment of microbial resistance and resistance genes of FQs, and the mechanism and effect of micro-biodegradation of FQs.

Study on the Correlation between Urinary Sodium and Potassium Excretion and Blood Pressure in Adult Hypertensive Inpatients of Different Sexes.

Objective: This study aims to understand the difference in the influence of urinary sodium and potassium excretion on blood pressure in patients of different sexes with hypertension by analyzing the relationship between urinary sodium and potassium excretion and blood pressure. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 606 hospitalized patients with essential hypertension were recruited from 16 hospitals in the Shanxi Province between June 2018 and December 2019. These patients were grouped by sex, with 368 males and 238 females. Basic information and relevant serum biochemical indexes of patients in the two groups were recorded. The 24-hour urinary sodium and potassium excretion were measured, and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was performed simultaneously. This was done to analyze and compare the relationship between urinary sodium and urinary potassium excretion and blood pressure in adult hospitalized patients of different sexes with hypertension. Results: The 24-hour urinary sodium excretion in male patients with hypertension was significantly higher than that in female patients (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in 24-hour urinary potassium excretion between male patients with hypertension and female patients. Spearman correlation analysis showed that 24-hour urinary sodium excretion was positively correlated with 24-hour SBP and nSBP in male patients (P < 0.05), while 24-hour urinary potassium excretion was negatively correlated with 24-hour SBP and nSBP in male patients (P < 0.05). The 24-hour urinary sodium in female patients was significantly positively correlated with 24-hour SBP, 24-hour DBP, SBP, dDBP, nSBP, and nDBP (P < 0.01). The 24-hour urinary potassium was significantly negatively correlated with nSBP (P < 0.05). Multiple stepwise linear regression showed that 24-hour urinary sodium excretion was still significantly positively correlated with 24-hour SBP and nSBP in male patients with hypertension after adjusting for various confounding factors. Conclusion: High urinary sodium and low urinary potassium excretion are closely related to elevated blood pressure in adult patients with hypertension, and there are sex differences.

Detection of an anti-angina therapeutic module in the effective population treated by a multi-target drug Danhong injection: a randomized trial.

It's a challenge for detecting the therapeutic targets of a polypharmacological drug from variations in the responsed networks in the differentiated populations with complex diseases, as stable coronary heart disease. Here, in an adaptive, 31-center, randomized, double-blind trial involving 920 patients with moderate symptomatic stable angina treated by 14-day Danhong injection(DHI), a kind of polypharmacological drug with high quality control, or placebo (0.9% saline), with 76-day following-up, we firstly confirmed that DHI could increase the proportion of patients with clinically significant changes on angina-frequency assessed by Seattle Angina Questionnaire (ΔSAQ-AF ≥ 20) (12.78% at Day 30, 95% confidence interval [CI] 5.86-19.71%, P = 0.0003, 13.82% at Day 60, 95% CI 6.82-20.82%, P = 0.0001 and 8.95% at Day 90, 95% CI 2.06-15.85%, P = 0.01). We also found that there were no significant differences in new-onset major vascular events (P = 0.8502) and serious adverse events (P = 0.9105) between DHI and placebo. After performing the RNA sequencing in 62 selected patients, we developed a systemic modular approach to identify differentially expressed modules (DEMs) of DHI with the Zsummary value less than 0 compared with the control group, calculated by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), and sketched out the basic framework on a modular map with 25 functional modules targeted by DHI. Furthermore, the effective therapeutic module (ETM), defined as the highest correlation value with the phenotype alteration (ΔSAQ-AF, the change in SAQ-AF at Day 30 from baseline) calculated by WGCNA, was identified in the population with the best effect (ΔSAQ-AF ≥ 40), which is related to anticoagulation and regulation of cholesterol metabolism. We assessed the modular flexibility of this ETM using the global topological D value based on Euclidean distance, which is correlated with phenotype alteration (r2: 0.8204, P = 0.019) by linear regression. Our study identified the anti-angina therapeutic module in the effective population treated by the multi-target drug. Modular methods facilitate the discovery of network pharmacological mechanisms and the advancement of precision medicine. (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01681316).

The Correlation Between Urinary Sodium Excretion and Blood Pressure in Hospitalized Adult Patients with Hypertension.

INTRODUCTION: This study was designed to understand the baseline salt intake of adult patients with hypertension in Shanxi Province, and to analyze the correlation between urinary sodium excretion and blood pressure. METHODS: From June 2018 to December 2019, 16 hospitals with regional representativeness and experimental conditions in Shanxi Province were selected, and 643 eligible adult inpatients with primary hypertension were enrolled from these hospitals. The ages of patients ranged from 18 to 80 years. A 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was performed, and morning urine sodium concentration and 24-h urine sodium excretion were measured. The correlation between urinary sodium excretion and blood pressure in adult patients with hypertension was analyzed. RESULTS: The baseline salt intake of the adult patient participants with hypertension in Shanxi Province was 11.51 g/day. The average 24-h urinary sodium excretion of all observed subjects was 191.90 ± 98.18 mmol. The 24-h urinary sodium excretion and morning urinary sodium concentration were significantly positively correlated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure following adjustment of confounding factors, including gender, age, body weight, and smoking. CONCLUSION: The morning urine sodium concentration and 24-h urine sodium excretion were significantly positively correlated with blood pressure. High sodium excretion may be a risk factor for rhythm abnormalities in non-dipper pattern blood pressure. The control of urinary sodium concentration can thus be an important strategy for regulating abnormal blood pressure rhythm.

[Response of Bacteriohopanepolyols to Hypoxic Conditions in the Surface Sediments of the Yangtze Estuary and Its Adjacent Areas].

Bacteriohopanepolyols (BHPs), as a novel bacterial biomarker, show clear potential for tracking organic matter sources and environmental change. To evaluate BHPs as indicators of seasonal hypoxia in the Yangtze Estuary and its adjacent areas, the composition, distribution, and source of BHPs in surface sediments were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry (HPLC-APCI-MS). A total of 12 BHPs were detected with a normalized TOC concentration of 3.79-269 µg·g-1. The BHPs present in the surface sediments were dominated by bacteriohopanetetrol (BHT), 2-methyl-BHT, amino-BHPs, and adenosylhopane and its homologues, accounting for 40%, 22%, 12%, and 4% of the total BHPs, respectively. Each of these components and their corresponding indices show clear spatial trends. Specifically, BHT showed an "offshore increase" trend, which was mainly attributed to marine autochthonous inputs; and soil marker BHPs including adenosylhopane, which were dominated by terrestrial sources, showed an "offshore decrease" trend. The Rsoil index indicated a similar spatial pattern to the soil marker BHPs, with the relative contribution of terrestrial organic matter decreasing from 61.5% in coastal waters to 1.66% in the open ocean. This suggests that the organic matter in the coastal waters was mainly derived from terrestrial sources while marine sources were dominant in the open ocean. BHT-Ⅱ, the BHT stereoisomer, was derived from anaerobic ammonium oxidizing bacteria. High BHT-Ⅱ ratios were consistent with seasonal hypoxic zones in the Yangtze Estuary and, furthermore, these ratios were significantly negatively correlated with dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations in the bottom waters. These observations indicate that hypoxic environments are beneficial to BHT-Ⅱ production, implying that BHT-Ⅱ can be used as an indicator of marine hypoxia.

[Compound-specific carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of amino sugars and their applications]. / æ°¨åŸºç³–å•ä½“ç¢³æ°®åŒä½ç´ çš„åˆ†æžåŠå ¶åº”ç”¨.

Amino sugars (AS) are one of the important biochemical components in the natural organic matter pool. Clarifying the sources and transformations of AS would facilitate our understan-ding of the microbial regulation of organic matter. As an emerging technology, compound-specific isotope analysis of amino sugars (CSIA-AS) provides more detailed dynamic information of indivi-dual AS in natural environment. Here, we systematically summarized the determination methods of CSIA-AS and gave an overview on innovative applications in the cycling of AS. CSIA-AS can be performed by gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-IRMS) and ion chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IC-IRMS). Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, but reliable results can be achieved after calibration. The mean residence time of AS is relatively low in soil organic matter, and the bacterial-derived muramic acid possesses a higher minera-lization rate than glucosamine, galactosamine, and mannosamine. The source and metabolic transformation of AS are affected by the substrate, which is related to the specific response of microbial community to different carbon and nitrogen sources. The promotion of CSIA-AS technology requires further optimization of method and integration with other approaches such as microbial screening to decipher the source, transformation, fate and regulatory mechanisms of organic matter.

[Amino acids in marine particulate matters and sediments and their role as indicators for organic matter degradation.] / 海洋颗粒物/æ²‰ç§¯ç‰©ä¸­çš„æ°¨åŸºé ¸åŠå ¶å¯¹æœ‰æœºè´¨é™è§£çš„æŒ‡ç¤ºä½œç”¨.

As important components of marine organic matters especially of organic nitrogen, amino acids play an important role in organic matter cycles owing to their lability. The concentration, composition, and distribution of amino acids have been widely used to indicate the degradation state of organic matters in particulates and sediments of marine. Here, the distribution, influencing factors of amino acids and their role in indicating degradation of organic matters were systematically summarized. Gly, Glu, Ala, and Asp were the major components of amino acids in marine particulates and sediments. The contents of amino acids in the particles and sediments showed a decreasing tendency from the coastal waters to the open sea, and adecreased with the water depth. The lower value of %AA-C/TOC, %AA-N/TN and degradation index (DI) based on changes in the composition of amino acids indicated the higher degradation degrees of organic matters. The reactivity index (RI) and ratios of D-AA and L-AA (D/L) based on non-protein amino acids and D-AA were used to indicate the degradation of organic matter according to the bacterial transformation of amino acids, in which RI value closer to 0, higher D/L, and lower ratios of protein amino acids to non-protein amino acids (Asp/ß-Ala and Glu/γ-Aba) indicated the higher degree of degradation in organic matters. The migration and transformation of amino acid were mainly affected by dissolved oxygen, nutrient concentrations, sources of organic matter, depositional environments and microbial activities. Further studies should focus on the synergistic effects of particles and sediments, and also the effects and the specific regulatory roles of microorganisms on amino acids.

[Atmospheric depositions of biogenic elements and their ecological effects on marine ecosystem of Jiaozhou Bay: A review]. / èƒ¶å·žæ¹¾ç”Ÿæºè¦ç´ çš„å¤§æ°”æ²‰é™åŠå ¶ç”Ÿæ€æ•ˆåº”ç ”ç©¶è¿›å±•.

As a typical semi-closed bay, Jiaozhou Bay, is remarkably affected by human activities. Biogenic elements transported into the oceans by the atmospheric deposition of anthropogenic particles can lead to profound impacts on the ecosystem of Jiaozhou Bay. In this paper, the researches of atmospheric dry and wet depositions in the Jiaozhou Bay were systematically summarized from the following three aspects: study methods, variation characteristics of the fluxes and their influencing factors and the ecological effects of atmospheric deposition. The concentrations and fluxes of nitrogen species in atmospheric dry and wet depositions were very high in the Jiaozhou Bay compared with other bays, estuaries and marginal seas around the world. The dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) was the main component of the total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) and the dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) accounted for 22%-31% of TDN. However, the concentrations and fluxes of phosphate and silicate species were very low. The atmospheric deposition fluxes of (NO3--N+NO2--N) were slightly higher than terrestrial inputs, while the fluxes of NH4+-N, PO43--P and SiO32--Si were very low compared with terrestrial inputs. The concentration of total suspended particulates (TSP) in the air, the intensity of the emission sources, precipitation amount and meteorological conditions are the major factors influencing the atmospheric depositions of biogenic elements, which can increase the primary productivity, change the structure of nutrients and the structure of phytoplankton communities in surface seawater and further promote the succession of phytoplankton dominant species from diatom to dinoflagellate in the Jiaozhou Bay. On that basis, the future research should be focused on constructing the monitoring network for atmospheric dry and wet depositions, accurately quantifying the deposition rates of aerosol particles of different forms and sizes, recognizing the ecological effects and biogeochemical mechanisms of atmospheric depositions of biogenic elements and discriminating the mechanisms, fluxes and influencing factors of atmospheric deposition biogenic elements via indirect approaches such as overland runoff, sheetflood and permeation etc. It is significant for illuminating the effects of anthropogenic activities on the coastal waters as well as understanding the bio-geochemical processes of biogenic elements in marginal seas by elucidating atmospheric depositions of biogenic elements in the Jiaozhou Bay.

[Distribution and Sources of n-alkanes in Surface Seawater of Jiaozhou Bay].

Hydrocarbons emitted by human activities probably constitute the largest class of contaminants that are present in coastal areas, because of widespread use of fossil fuels for power generation and logistics, and accidental spillages. The chemical composition of hydrocarbon mixtures found in the marine environment allowed the identification of relative contributions of different natural and anthropogenic sources. Identification of these hydrocarbons, especially n-alkanes, could act as tracers for the possible sources. To evaluate n-alkanes concentrations with emphasis on source analysis, surface water without visible oil was collected from the cruise in April 2016. Determination and quantification were performed by solvent extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Various molecular diagnostic parameters were used to assess the contribution of different sources and origin of n-alkanes in surface seawater of Jiaozhou Bay. Concentrations of total dissolved n-alkanes(C11-C37) were between 1.756-39.09 µg·L-1 with a high carbon number predominance profile without odd-even carbon number preference. The n-alkane concentrations varied spatially depending on the distance away from main input sources and the ability of water exchange. It was at a higher concentration in the northeast and west coastal areas, as well as the mouth of Jiaozhou Bay. And concentrations were relatively lower in the inner area and outside of Jiaozhou Bay. In the sea area with strong water exchange, concentrations of total n-alkanes were around 2.196 µg·L-1, which could be considered as the environmental background level of n-alkanes in Jiaozhou Bay. Those n-alkanes were dominated with C24, with a slightly odd carbon number preference in low carbon n-alkanes and an even carbon number preference in high carbon n-alkanes. The values of CPI for the whole range of n-alkanes series, low carbon n-alkanes, and high carbon n-alkanes were 0.949, 1.026, and 0.980, respectively. Diagnostic indices and curves indicated that the dominant inputs of those n-alkanes were from marine biogenic input such as algae and marine bacteria. The concentration profiles of n-alkanes in other areas were characterized by no odd-even predominance in the range of C21-C33 with peaks center at C24 which were indicative of anthropic contributions as emission sources. N-alkanes dominating with anthropic sources comprised a high proportion(83.7%) of total n-alkanes. Activities of harbors and ships were the main contributors of Jiaozhou Bay n-alkanes. Physical processes, such as evaporation and dilution, were the principal weathering mechanisms. Because of its sufficient environmental capacity, Jiaozhou Bay was still moderately contaminated with petroleum.

[Release and supplement of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus from jellyfish (Nemopilema nomurai) decomposition in seawater].

Abstract: Jellyfish bloom has been increasing in Chinese seas and decomposition after jellyfish bloom has great influences on marine ecological environment. We conducted the incubation of Nemopilema nomurai decomposing to evaluate its effect on carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus recycling of water column by simulated experiments. The results showed that the processes of jellyfish decomposing represented a fast release of biogenic elements, and the release of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus reached the maximum at the beginning of jellyfish decomposing. The release of biogenic elements from jellyfish decomposition was dominated by dissolved matter, which had a much higher level than particulate matter. The highest net release rates of dissolved organic carbon and particulate organic carbon reached (103.77 ± 12.60) and (1.52 ± 0.37) mg · kg⁻¹ · h⁻¹, respectively. The dissolved nitrogen was dominated by NH4⁺-N during the whole incubation time, accounting for 69.6%-91.6% of total dissolved nitrogen, whereas the dissolved phosphorus was dominated by dissolved organic phosphorus during the initial stage of decomposition, being 63.9%-86.7% of total dissolved phosphorus and dominated by PO4³â»-P during the late stage of decomposition, being 50.4%-60.2%. On the contrary, the particulate nitrogen was mainly in particulate organic nitrogen, accounting for (88.6 ± 6.9) % of total particulate nitrogen, whereas the particulate phosphorus was mainly in particulate. inorganic phosphorus, accounting for (73.9 ±10.5) % of total particulate phosphorus. In addition, jellyfish decomposition decreased the C/N and increased the N/P of water column. These indicated that jellyfish decomposition could result in relative high carbon and nitrogen loads.

Spatial variation, fractionation and sedimentary records of mercury in the East China Sea.

Surface and core sediments were collected to study distributions, phases and potential environmental risk of Hg and to reconstruct anthropogenic Hg change over the past one hundred years in the East China Sea (ECS). Hg contents in surface sediments displayed a decreasing gradient from the Changjiang Estuary to the outer sea. Sequential extraction analysis showed that Hg mainly existed as residual fraction (70.18% of total), and while organic matter fraction (22.96% of total) was the main component of labile fraction, indicating the strong adsorption of organic matters on Hg. Enrichment factor and sediment quality guidelines suggested that Hg in sediments of ECS were at minor enrichment and low adverse effect. Temporal distributions of total Hg content, labile fraction, burial flux and anthropogenic Hg flux showed that anthropogenic Hg input increased since the 1960s, which was related to riverine input and atmospheric transport.

Jellyfish (Cyanea nozakii) decomposition and its potential influence on marine environments studied via simulation experiments.

A growing body of evidence suggests that the jellyfish population in Chinese seas is increasing, and decomposition of jellyfish strongly influences the marine ecosystem. This study investigated the change in water quality during Cyanea nozakii decomposition using simulation experiments. The results demonstrated that the amount of dissolved nutrients released by jellyfish was greater than the amount of particulate nutrients. NH4(+) was predominant in the dissolved matter, whereas the particulate matter was dominated by organic nitrogen and inorganic phosphorus. The high N/P ratios demonstrated that jellyfish decomposition may result in high nitrogen loads. The inorganic nutrients released by C. nozakii decomposition were important for primary production. Jellyfish decomposition caused decreases in the pH and oxygen consumption associated with acidification and hypoxia or anoxia; however, sediments partially mitigated the changes in the pH and oxygen. These results imply that jellyfish decomposition can result in potentially detrimental effects on marine environments.

[Deposition and burial of organic carbon in coastal salt marsh: research progress].

Coastal salt marsh has higher potential of carbon sequestration, playing an important role in mitigating global warming, while coastal saline soil is the largest organic carbon pool in the coastal salt marsh carbon budget. To study the carbon deposition and burial in this soil is of significance for clearly understanding the carbon budget of coastal salt marsh. This paper summarized the research progress on the deposition and burial of organic carbon in coastal salt marsh from the aspects of the sources of coastal salt marsh soil organic carbon, soil organic carbon storage and deposition rate, burial mechanisms of soil organic carbon, and the relationships between the carbon sequestration in coastal salt marsh and the global climate change. Some suggestions for the future related researches were put forward: 1) to further study the underlying factors that control the variability of carbon storage in coastal salt marsh, 2) to standardize the methods for measuring the carbon storage and the deposition and burial rates of organic carbon in coastal salt marsh, 3) to quantify the lateral exchange of carbon flux between coastal salt marsh and adjacent ecosystems under the effects of tide, and 4) to approach whether the effects of global warming and the increased productivity could compensate for the increase of the organic carbon decomposition rate resulted from sediment respiration. To make clear the driving factors determining the variability of carbon sequestration rate and how the organic carbon storage is affected by climate change and anthropogenic activities would be helpful to improve the carbon sequestration capacity of coastal salt marshes in China.

Environmental geochemistry reflected by rare earth elements in Bohai Bay (North China) core sediments.

In Bohai Bay sediment, two cores were collected to estimate the source of sediments, and assess the environmental changes. Sequential extractions were carried out in this study. Rare earth elements (REE) were leached out from four labile fractions: Exchangeable (L1), Bound to carbonates (L2), Bound to Fe-Mn oxides (L3), Bound to organic matter (L4), and the remainder was Residual (R5). The percentages of REE in different fractions follow the order: R5 > L3 > L2 > L4 > L1. With heavy REE depletion and no pronounced REE fractionation, NASC-normalized REE patterns of Bohai Bay sediments are quite consistent with that of Haihe River sediment, which is the key river of Bohai Bay. Y/Ho ratios of total contents are all much lower than the average value of continental crust, while Y/Ho ratios of L2 are higher than those of other fractions. Based on the patterns of REE and Y/Ho ratios of samples, sediments of Bohai Bay mainly come from terrigenous matters, which are mainly brought by Haihe River. And REE combined with carbonates may be partly inherited from anthropogenic matter. Moreover, environmental changes exert significant influences on the patterns and fractionations of REE, and they can be deduced from the characteristics of REE. Our results on the patterns and burial fluxes of REE reflect two environmental changes: Bohai Bay has been shifting towards more reducing conditions in the last one hundred years, and there was a large flood in 1939.