Accumulation of silver in the liver of three species of pinnipeds

Silver in the three species of pinnipeds [northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus), Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus), and harbor seal (Phoca vitulina)] caught in the North Pacific Ocean were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, in order to understand accumulation and distribution of silver in pinnipeds. In northern fur seals, relatively high concentrations of silver were observed in the liver and body hair. Some 70% of the silver burden was concentrated in the liver. Hepatic silver concentrations were significantly correlated to age in northern fur seals (r = 0.766, P < 0.001, n = 49) and Steller sea lions (r = 0.496, P < 0.01, n = 28). Levels of silver concentrations per wet weight (microgram g-1) in the three pinnipeds ranged from 0.04 to 0.55 for northern fur seals, from 0.1 to 1.04 for Steller sea lions and from 0.03 to 0.83 for harbor seals. Silver concentrations in liver for all pinnipeds were significantly correlated with mercury, and selenium (P < 0.001). Molar ratios between silver to selenium approximated 1:180 in northern fur seals, 1:120 in Steller sea lions, and 1:60 in harbor seals. The silver-mercury molar ratios were approximately 1:170 in northern fur seals, and 1:80 both in the other species. Increase in silver accumulation in the liver was caused by the retention in nuclei and mitochondria fraction together with mercury and selenium in the cells of northern fur seals.     

Investigation of the characteristics of the reflectivity of clouds

This paper investigates some of the reflectivity characteristics that clouds (when modelled as solid bodies) must exhibit to be compatible with observations that the reflecting surface of a cloud (i) appears almost equally bright across its face, (ii) is brightest when the cloud is opposite to the Sun but decreases in brightness as the cloud moves to other positions and (iii) increases in brightness with increasing optical thickness of the cloud in the observer's line of sight. These observations, respectively, are shown to imply that the peak value of the bidirectional total reflectivity from a cloud surface (i) increases in inverse proportion to the cosine of the angle between the Sun and the normal to the cloud surface, as the incident angle increases, (ii) appears to be directed back in the direction of the incident radiation, and (iii) increases as optical thickness of the cloud in the observer's line of sight increases. The results could have application in many fields (e.g. modelling diffuse radiance distributions for cloudy skies).     

Sodium dodecyl sulphate-enhanced desorption of atrazine: effect of surfactant concentration and of organic matter content of soils

A study was made of the adsorption-desorption of atrazine in aqueous medium in five soils with organic matter (OM) contents in the range 1.4-10.3% and also of the desorption of the herbicide in aqueous solutions of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) at critical micelle concentrations (cmc) of 0.75, 1.50, 5 and 10. The adsorption and desorption isotherms in water together with the desorption isotherms in SDS solutions with concentrations of 0.75 and 1.50 cmc fit the Freundlich adsorption equation. All the desorption isotherms displayed hysteresis. The increase or reduction in hysteresis of the desorption isotherms in SDS solutions with respect to those of desorption in water depend on the SDS concentration and on the OM content of the soils. Below the cmc, SDS only increases the desorption of atrazine in the soil with the highest OM content (10.3%). However, above the cmc (5 and 10 cmc) the desorption of atrazine increases in all soils, the efficiency of desorption increasing with the OM content of the soils.     

微量金属对废水厌氧处理效果的影响

以葡萄酒蒸馏废水的厌氧生物处理为例,研究了Fe、Ni、Co、Mo、Cu、Zn对厌氧反应器的COD去除率、出水中挥发性有机酸含量、气体产量、气体成分、pH缓冲能力和碱度等的影响.对比了微量金属投加前后,厌氧反应器污泥中微量金属含量的变化.得出微量金属具有提高厌氧运行效果的作用,其中,Co的作用要更大一些.Ni、Co、Mo在附着态、悬浮态污泥中具有逐渐积累的特点;Fe、Cu、Zn在附着态污泥中是淋失的,而在悬浮态污泥中变化不大.     

Evaluation of fecal pollution of river sediment by detection of urobilin

In this study, we attempted to establish a new indicator for fecal pollution of river sediment using a sensitive detection method for urobilin. Urobilin contained in sediment was extracted with an alkaline buffer solution. The suitable buffer solution for extraction of urobilin consisted of 0.1 M Tris-HCl buffer (pH 10.0) containing 0.1 m sodium chloride. The ratio of sediment to buffer was 1:10. The distribution of urobilin in river sediment was studied by this method. The amount of urobilin in the river sediment of Tokyo (urban) and the Miura peninsula (rural) area was surveyed. Large quantities of urobilin were detected in the sediments of the urban rivers, but it was scarce in the rural rivers. Urobilin showed a higher content in sediment than in water. Urobilin in river sediment is distributed in large amounts in the lower reaches, where the water is polluted with domestic sewage and industrial waste, but is scarce in the upper streams. The amount of urobilin decreases to the lower layers.     

利用电动技术强化有机污染土壤原位修复研究

电动修复技术是近几年发展起来的一种新型土壤修复技术，由于其处理的高效性受到了越来越多的关注。本文介绍了利用电动技术强化土壤有机污染物原位修复的原理及其最新进展。电动强化有机物污染修复的基本原理是利用电动效应对有机物的迁移作用或者强化生物修复过程（注入营养物、电子受体和活性微生物等）达到去除污染物的目的。研究表明，该技术不破坏生态环境，安装操作简单成本低廉，具有广泛的应用前景，其中电动强化原位生物修复和能够适应于各种不同成分污染（如有机物重金属复合污染）的多技术联合是今后电动技术发展的重要方向。     

Pilot monitoring study of ibuprofen in surface waters of north of Portugal

Ibuprofen is amongst the most worldwide consumed pharmaceuticals. The present work presents the first data in the occurrence of ibuprofen in Portuguese surface waters, focusing in the north area of the country, which is one of the most densely populated areas of Portugal. Analysis of ibuprofen is based on pre-concentration of the analyte with solid phase extraction and subsequent determination with liquid chromatography coupled to fluorescence detection. A total of 42 water samples, including surface waters, landfill leachates, Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), and hospital effluents, were analyzed in order to evaluate the occurrence of ibuprofen in the north of Portugal. In general, the highest concentrations were found in the river mouths and in the estuarine zone. The maximum concentrations found were 48,720 ng?L^?1 in the landfill leachate, 3,868 ng?L^?1 in hospital effluent, 616 ng?L^?1 in WWTP effluent, and 723 ng?L^?1 in surface waters (Lima river). Environmental risk assessment was evaluated and at the measured concentrations only landfill leachates reveal potential ecotoxicological risk for aquatic organisms. Owing to a high consumption rate of ibuprofen among Portuguese population, as prescribed and non-prescribed medicine, the importance of hospitals, WWTPs, and landfills as sources of entrance of pharmaceuticals in the environment was pointed out. Landfill leachates showed the highest contribution for ibuprofen mass loading into surface waters. On the basis of our findings, more studies are needed as an attempt to assess more vulnerable areas.     

Assessment of the pollution impact on biomarkers of effect of a freshwater fish

Changes in biomarkers of fish captured from stressed environments may represent a reliable tool in revealing sublethal effects of the pollutants found in aquatic ecosystems. The response patterns of selected biochemical and morphological variables biomarkers of effect were assessed in adult females of an indigenous teleost Cnesterodon decemmaculatus, caught at a polluted site (San Francisco) of the Reconquista river (Buenos Aires, Argentina). Combined field-caging experiments with controlled laboratory exposure to clean media were performed. The biochemical parameters measured were specific activities of gill (Na+ + K+)-ATPase, liver AlaAT and AspAT, and brain AChE; LSI and CF were also calculated. The changes in gill (Na+ + K+)-ATPase and liver AlaAT activities of fish captured in the field in most cases were reversible after transfer to clean media. The results were interpreted in association with the physicochemical profile of the water samples taken simultaneously with the capture of the fish. Results suggested the suitability of the test species used as tools in environmental monitoring programs of risk assessment.     

有机螯合剂在镍污染土壤植物修复中的研究进展

有机螯合剂的存在能促进土壤中的固相Ni向水溶态转化 ,提高Ni的生物可利用性。本文讨论了土壤中镍的存在形态以及有机螯合剂对土壤中镍形态的影响 ,并从植物吸收Ni的机制出发 ,阐述有机螯合剂对植物吸收Ni和植物生物量的影响 ,分析了植物修复的螯合诱导技术的一些局限性 ,并对植物修复螯合诱导技术提出展望     

Mercury accumulation in surface sediments of salt marshes of the Bay of Fundy

Mercury contamination in Canada's Bay of Fundy is a priority concern because of elevated levels observed in fish, birds and wildlife. Salt marshes constitute an important part of the Bay's coastline and are potential stores of mercury for the region. We measured the amount of mercury accumulated over a 5-yr period from 1997 to 2002 in surface sediments of seven salt marshes along the New Brunswick coast of the Bay. The seven study sites extended from outer to inner Bay, spanning a gradient in tidal range (6-12 m) and sediment characteristics such as %LOI (4-29%) and sediment deposition rate (0.27-1.76 cm yr(-1)). In each study site, mercury was measured in low and high marsh areas. Sediment mercury concentrations ranged from 7 to 79 ng g(-1) and loading rates ranged from 0.1 to 1.1 mg m(-2). Total estimated 5-yr storage of mercury in salt marsh sediments of the Bay is 854+/-465 kg. We also compared sediment mercury loading to atmospheric inputs measured at a deposition monitoring station operating in New Brunswick from 1997 to 2002 and found that direct atmospheric deposition appears to be a minor input of mercury to these sediments. We are unaware of documentation of mercury loading in salt marshes on a bay-wide scale and over a constrained (5-yr) time period elsewhere.     

Influence of ageing of residues on the availability of herbicides for leaching

Losses by leaching of chlorotoluron, isoproturon and triasulfuron from small intact columns of a structured clay loam and an unstructured sandy loam soil were measured in five separate field experiments. In general, losses of all three herbicides were greater from the clay loam than from the sandy loam soil and the order between herbicides was always triasulfuron > isoproturon > chlorotoluron. Differences between experiments were also consistent for every soil/herbicide combination. There was no relationship between total loss and either total rainfall or cumulative leachate volume. When weighting factors were applied to the rainfall data to make early rainfall more important than later rainfall, there were significant positive relationships between cumulative weighted rainfall and total losses. Also, there were significant negative correlations between total losses and the delay to accumulation of 25 mm rainfall (equivalent to one pore volume of available water) in the different experiments. In laboratory incubations, there was a more rapid decline in aqueous (0.01 M calcium chloride) extractable residues than in total solvent extractable residues indicating increasing sorption with residence time. However, the rate of change in water extractable residues could not completely explain the decrease in leachability with ageing of residues in the field. Short-term sorption studies with aggregates of the two soils indicated slower sorption by those of the clay loam than by those of the sandy loam suggesting that diffusion into and out of aggregates may affect availability for leaching in the more structured soil. Small scale leaching studies with aggregates of the soils also demonstrated reductions in availability for leaching as residence time in soil was increased, which could not be explained by degradation. These results therefore indicate that time-dependent sorption processes are important in controlling pesticide movement in soils, although the data do not give a mechanistic explanation of the changes in leaching with ageing of residues.     

Distribution of heavy metal contents of urban soils in parks of Seville

Several metals in urban soils of Seville were extracted by two methods, which respectively give estimates of the available and ‘quasi total’ contents. Although the soils did not show strong heterogeneity in their general properties, high dispersion of the contents in those metals with greater relative availability, Cu, Pb and Zn, as compared to others suggested that pollution with these three metals could occur in some sampling sites. It was shown that the contents in these metals tend to increase as the historic quarters of the city are approached. Using reference values given by the Québec Ministry of Environment it was shown that those green areas closer to the historic centre present contents in Pb, Zn and particularly Cu that often exceed the acceptable limits for residential, recreational and institutional sites. From background contents for Seville soils estimated from a park located on the outskirts, a pollution load index (PLI) for each sampling site was calculated for the set of these three metals. It was shown that the PLI tends to increase as traffic density increases and as distance from main traffic decreases, but poor regressions were obtained, suggesting that other variables different from traffic should be considered.     

The Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (1 p.)

- The Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) is located at the foot of Luojia Hill and beside the beautiful Donghu Lake in the City of Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. It was founded in 1930 as the Natural History Museum of Academia Sinica, and renamed as the Institute of Zoology and Botany of Academia Sinica in 1934. In 1944, it was divided into two institutes: The Institute of Zoology and Institute of Botany. In 1950, the main part of the Institute of Zoology, the sections of phycology in the Institute of Botany, and some members from other institutes and universities were merged into the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai. The institute was moved from Shanghai to Wuhan in 1954.     

Effects of zeolites on cultures of marine micro-algae

GOAL, SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: The cation-exchange capacity of zeolites is well known and has been increasingly explored in different fields with both economic and environmental successes. In aquatic medium with low salinity, zeolites have found multiple applications. However, a review of the literature on the applications of zeolites in salt waters found relatively few articles, including some recently published papers. The purpose of this review is to present the state-of-the-art on applications of using zeolites for amending the trace elemental contents of salt water as well as the implications of this property for promoting marine micro-algal growth. MAIN FEATURES: This paper deals with the following features: Sorption capacity of zeolites including 1. application of zeolites in saltwater, 2. the role of silicon and zeolites on cultures of micro-algae, and 3. the role of organically chelated trace metals. RESULTS: The following competing factors have been identified as effects of zeolites on algal growth in salt water: (i) ammonia decrease: growth inhibition reduced; (ii) macro-nutrients increase, mainly silicon: stimulation of silicon-dependent algae; (iii) trace metals increase (desorption from zeolites) or decrease (adsorption): inhibition or stimulation, depending on the nature of the element and its concentration; and, (iv) changes in the chelating organics exudation: inhibition or stimulation of growth, depending on the (a) nature of the complexed element; (b) bioavailability of the complex; and (c) concentration of the elements simultaneously present in inorganic forms. DISCUSSION: Zeolites have been capable of stimulating the growth of the silicon-demanding marine micro-algae, like diatoms, mainly because they can act as a silicon buffer in seawater. Zeolites can also influence the yield of non-silicon-demanding algae, because the changes they can cause (liberation and adsorption of trace elements) in the composition of the medium. CONCLUSIONS: Zeolites have been capable of stimulating the growth of the marine micro-algae. However, the extent of ion exchange between zeolite and seawater, which conditions the effects, will depend on several factors: (1) initial metal concentration in seawater; (2) levels of trace metals in the zeolites (contaminants); (3) characteristics of the zeolites in terms of both ion-exchange capacity and specific affinities for the different cations; (4) quantity of zeolite per litre of solution; (5) pH and (6) response of the organism in terms of liberation of organic ligands. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: RECOMMENDATIONS: Therefore, a previous investigation in each particular case is recommended, in order to select the zeolitic characteristics and concentrations that will maximize the algal yield. PERSPECTIVES: Stimulation of phytoplankton growth can be economically relevant since phytoplankton constitutes the basis of the marine food webs and is required in fish farming nurseries in the marine aquaculture industry. Zeolites are cheap, only small amounts (few milligrams per liter of culture) are required and the addition of some micro-nutrients may be omitted. Therefore, the inclusion of zeolites in algal cultures in aquaculture may have economic advantages.     

Interannual patterns of variation in concentrations of trace elements in arms of Octopus vulgaris

Concentrations of essential (copper, iron, manganese, selenium, and zinc) and non-essential (arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead) trace elements were measured in arms of Octopus vulgaris. The cephalopods were sampled from commercial fishery landings at two sites on the Portuguese coast in spring 2002 and 2003. Mercury was determined using an Advanced Mercury Analyser Spectrophotometer (AMAS) and other trace elements were measured using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Since high levels of arsenic were detected, identification of the forms present was carried out using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) followed by ICP-MS. Mean concentrations of trace elements analysed were in the following order: As > Zn > Fe > Cu > Cd > Pb > Se > Mn > Hg. The results of speciation of arsenic demonstrate that virtually all arsenic was in the arsenobetaine form, which is the less toxic form. The concentrations of several trace elements were generally high in samples from Viana in 2002. Cadmium concentrations were above the legal limit for human consumption in samples from Viana in 2002 and two of these animals also had lead concentrations that exceeded legal limits. Mercury appeared in all samples but levels were within legally defined safe limits. No relationship was detected between trace element concentrations and size or maturity of octopus.     

红枫湖底泥磷负荷释放

为了研究高原湖泊底泥沉积物中磷的释放负荷,对贵州红枫湖区10个地区的沉积物进行了磷形态分析。选取10个采样点中5个典型区域,研究结果表明,底泥中各形态磷占总磷比例Org-P为58.6%,NaOH-P为29.91%,Ca-P为11.48%,底泥中主要的磷形态为有机磷。上覆水溶解性总磷酸盐(TSP)与底泥中各形态磷的相关性研究表明,底泥中的Ca-P与上覆水中的TSP几乎没有相关性,NaOH-P与Org-P与上覆水的TSP有较高的相关性(R2>0.94),而底泥中的总磷(TP)与上覆水中的TSP相关性最高(R2>0.98),底泥中这种形态的结构有利于抑制底泥的释放。研究表明,在10点位样品中,间隙水中TP和SRP(溶解性正磷酸)浓度远大于上覆水体中相应磷形态的浓度,间隙水中TP平均浓度为0.37 mg/L,SRP平均浓度为0.18 mg/L,上覆水体中TP平均浓度为0.10 mg/L,SRP平均浓度为0.02 mg/L,间隙水中TP、SRP与上覆水中TP、SRP存在了一种浓度梯度。     

Evaluation of combustion by-products of MTBE as a component of reformulated gasoline

Methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) is a gasoline oxygenate that is widely used throughout the US and Europe as an octane-booster and as a means of reducing automotive carbon monoxide (CO) emissions. The combustion by-products of pure MTBE have been evaluated in previous laboratory studies, but little attention has been paid to the combustion by-products of MTBE as a component of gasoline. MTBE is often used in reformulated gasoline (RFG), which has chemical and physical characteristics distinct from conventional gasoline. The formation of MTBE by-products in RFG is not well-understood, especially under "worst-case" vehicle emission scenarios such as fuel-rich operations, cold-starts or malfunctioning emission control systems, conditions which have not been studied extensively. Engine-out automotive dynamometer studies have compared RFG with MTBE to non-oxygenated RFG. Their findings suggest that adding MTBE to reformulated gasoline does not impact the high temperature flame chemistry in cylinder combustion processes. Comparison of tailpipe and exhaust emission studies indicate that reactions in the catalytic converter are quite effective in destroying most hydrocarbon MTBE by-product species. Since important reaction by-products are formed in the post-flame region, understanding changes in this region will contribute to the understanding of fuel-related changes in emissions.     

Variation of heavy metals within and among feathers of birds of prey: effects of molt and external contamination

In this study we examined the effect of external contamination on the heavy metal (Ag, Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) concentration in feathers. We compared the heavy metal content among the 10 primary wing feathers of sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus), little owls (Athene nocta) and barn owls (Tyto alba) and the variation within the outermost tail feather of sparrowhawks and tawny owls (Strix aluco). The concentration of Hg was significantly higher in feathers molted first, suggesting that levels in feathers reflect levels in the blood during formation. For some other elements (Al, Co, Ni, Pb, Zn) on the other hand, there are strong indications that external contamination may have an important impact on the levels detected in the feathers. This should be taken into account in future monitoring studies.     

Levels and distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in various tissues of birds of prey

In the present study, concentrations and tissue distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs; IUPAC # 28, 47, 99, 100, 153, 154, 183, and 209) were examined in brain, adipose tissue, liver, muscle, and serum of birds of prey. Median SigmaPBDE levels (BDE 28-183) in the tissues of sparrowhawks ranged from 360 to 1900 ng/g lipid weight (lw), which was in general one order of magnitude higher than in the tissues of common buzzards (26-130 ng/g lw). There were no differences in PBDE congener patterns between the various tissues within individuals of a certain species. Inter-species differences in PBDE patterns and in particular the percentage of BDE 99, 100 and 153 were, however, pronounced between sparrowhawk and common buzzard. BDE 209 was detected in nearly all serum and in some liver samples, but not in any other tissues. This observation suggests that exposure to BDE 209 is low or that this congener is poorly accumulated. Passive (lipid content related) diffusion could not completely describe the PBDE tissue distribution, e.g. the lowest PBDE-load was measured in brain, a fairly lipid rich tissue.     

重金属污染土壤电动力学修复技术

电动力学修复技术是把电极插入受污染的土壤并通入直流电 ,发生土壤孔隙水和带电离子的迁移。土壤中的污染物质在外加电扬作用下发生定向移动并在电极附近累积 ,抽出处理从而被除去。新兴的电动力学原位修复技术去除土壤重金属污染正越来越多地被各国研究人员接受。一系列实验规模的研究和技术已日渐成熟 ,其中Lasagna技术和Electro klean技术已在美国肯塔基州和路易斯安那州等地进行了原位修复