Selection of Bioindicators of Pollution for Marine Monitoring Programmes

The ultimate management concerns related to toxic chemicals in the marine environment are for the magnitude and extent of biological effects, including those on human health, that may result. Over the past several years, the National Status and Trends (NS&T) Program of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has supported the development and application of a number of bioeffects measurements, including biochemical indicators of contaminant exposure and of reproductive status in fish, prevalence of histopathological lesions, toxicity bioassays of sediments and water, and benthic community structural features. Some of these measurements have been applied as part of regular sampling at the nationwide network of NS&T sites, while others have been assessed in more intensive, regional studies. Our experience with different indicators is summarized and discussed in relation to a set of monitoring objectives and evaluation criteria. Current conclusions are: (a) iterative application of controlled laboratory experiments and field validation tests are required to verify causality and mechanisms of biological responses to contaminants; (b) contaminant concentrations, indicator species, and local conditions vary considerably in different areas and at different times, requiring the use of different effects measurements oriented toward specific objectives and hypotheses; and (c) tiered, sequential application of a mix of indicators, including direct measurements on indigenous organisms and indirect bioassay approaches, is useful and effective for estimating the magnitude and spatial extent of contaminant bioeffects.     

汕头红树林湿地表层沉积物环境因子对PAHs分布的影响

为了探明红树林湿地表层沉积物环境因子对多环芳烃分布的影响,野外采集了汕头红树林湿地表层沉积物样品,实验室内有机溶剂提取、氧化铝硅胶柱净化和气质联用分析了沉积物多环芳烃的质量分数、CHN元素仪分析了沉积物有机碳和黑碳的质量分数、激光粒度仪分析了沉积物的粒级组成,研究了沉积物有机碳、黑碳和粒度等各环境因子与多环芳烃的相关性.结果表明:有机碳与2～3环、4环和总多环芳烃的质量分数显著相关(P<0.05),表明表层沉积物有机碳的质量分数对PAHs的分布产生了显著的影响;黑碳与2～3环、4环、5～6环和总多环芳烃的质量分数显著相关(P<0.01),表明表层沉积物黑碳的质量分数对PAHs的分布产生了显著的影响;粘粒与2～3环多环芳烃的质量分数显著相关(P<0.05),与4环、5～6环和总多环芳烃的质量分数显著相关(P<0.01),表明表层沉积物粘粒的质量分数对PAHs的分布也产生了显著的影响;多元线性逐步回归分析显示,各回归方程黑碳的偏回归系数值都是最大,沉积物黑碳的质量分数对多环芳烃的质量分数贡献最大,表明黑碳是多环芳烃分布的主要影响因素.     

Chemistry of methylmercurials in aqueous solution

The kinetics of acid cleavage of dimethylmercury (DMM) was studied in aqueous solution. At 25°C and pH 5, DMM has an acidolysis half-life of about 33 years. Cleavage of dimethylmercury by mercuric species is pH-dependent and is slow at the concentrations of mercuric species in solution in the aquatic environment. Dimethylmercury and methylmercuric ion do not undergo sunlight photodegradation. The evaporative loss of dimethylmercury from water can be compared with oxygen diffusion based on the ratio of transfer constants.     

负载量对氨水吸收CO2的影响规律及添加剂的作用研究

进行了氨法脱碳过程中吸收剂中CO2负载量对CO2脱除率影响的实验研究.结果发现,CO2脱除率随着负载量的增大而显著减小,高负载量(≥0.4)时,增加吸收液中总氨质量分数(吸收液中所有包含氨分子和铵离子的物质,并统一换算成NH3的质量分数)并不能有效地提高CO2的脱除率.同时,分别对有机和无机添加剂进行筛选,选取哌嗪(PZ)和十二水磷酸钠(Na3PO4·12H2O)对吸收剂中高CO2负载鼍条件下的氨水溶液进行改性.实验结果表明,当哌嗪(PZ)浓度与总氨浓度之比为0.08,在吸收荆中CO2负载量为0.4、0.5和0.6的条件下,CO2脱除率可分别提高29.4%、31.0%和21.7%;当Na3PO4·12H2O浓度与总氨浓度之比为0.10,在吸收剂中CO2负载量为0.4、0.5和0.6的条件下,CO2脱除率可分别提高11.0%、11.7%和17.1%.     

Distribution-free ranked-set sample procedures for umbrella alternatives in the m-sample setting

In settings where measurements are costly and/or difficult to obtain but ranking of the potential sample data is relatively easy and reliable, the use of statistical methods based on a ranked-set sampling approach can lead to substantial improvement over analogous methods associated with simple random samples. Previous nonparametric work in this area has been concentrated almost exclusively on the one- and two-sample location problems. In this paper we develop ranked-set sample procedures for the m-sample location setting where the treatment effect parameters follow a restricted umbrella pattern. Distribution-free testing procedures are developed for both the case where the peak of the umbrella is known and for the case where it is unknown. Small sample and asymptotic null distribution properties are provided for the peak-known test statistic.     

The development of psychological contract breach and violation: a longitudinal study

This study examines factors affecting employees' perceptions that their psychological contract has been breached by their organization, and factors affecting whether this perception will cause employees to experience feelings of contract violation. Data were obtained from 147 managers just prior to their beginning of new job (time 1) and 18 months later (time 2). It was found that perceived contract breach at time 2 was more likely when organizational performance and self‐reported employee performance were low, the employee had not experienced a formal socialization process, the employee had little interaction with organizational agents prior to hire, the employee had a history of psychological contract breach with former employers, and the employee had many employment alternatives at the time of hire. Furthermore, perceived breach was associated with more intense feelings of violation when employees both attributed the breach to purposeful reneging by the employer and felt unfairly treated in the process. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Metabolic responses of Eisenia fetida after sub-lethal exposure to organic contaminants with different toxic modes of action

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) - based metabolomics has the potential to identify toxic responses of contaminants within a mixture in contaminated soil. This study evaluated the metabolic response of Eisenia fetida after exposure to an array of organic compounds to determine whether contaminant-specific responses could be identified. The compounds investigated in contact tests included: two pesticides (carbaryl and chlorpyrifos), three pharmaceuticals (carbamazephine, estrone and caffeine), two persistent organohalogens (Aroclor 1254 and PBDE 209) and two industrial compounds (nonylphenol and dimethyl phthalate). Control and contaminant-exposed metabolic profiles were distinguished using principal component analysis and potential contaminant-specific biomarkers of exposure were found for several contaminants. These results suggest that NMR-based metabolomics offers considerable promise for differentiating between the different toxic modes of action (MOA) associated with sub-lethal toxicity to earthworms.     

海外耕地保护的社会化扶持对策及其启示

由于耕地为公众提供了大量的、具有强烈外部性的非生产性功能,很多国家都把耕地保护作为一个公共目标,并通过社会化扶持手段来得到实施.中国作为一个人多地少,人均耕地占有量低的国家,耕地保护任务更加突出,虽然"切实保护耕地"成为我国的一个基本国策,提出要执行"世界上最严格的耕地保护",并制定了耕地总量动态平衡、土地用途管制等一系列耕地保护政策,但耕地保护整体效果却不窖乐观,其中一个原因就是没有形成全社会共同保护耕地的氛围.本文对当今世界耕地保护社会化扶持的政策依据及实践手段进行综合与分析,并结合我国耕地保护的形势,提出了我国耕地保护社会化扶持的一系列对策措施,包括加快耕地产权制度建设,明确耕地保护的责任主体;重视耕地的非生产功能,提高全社会的耕地保护意识;采用综合优惠措施,激励农户的耕地保护行为;完善城镇发展规划,严格控制城镇对耕地的侵占;延长农产晶产业链,增加农业产业的经济收入.     

Suspended-Sediment Concentration Regimes for Two Biological Reference Streams in Middle Tennessee1

Diehl, Timothy H. and William J. Wolfe, 2010. Suspended-Sediment Concentration Regimes for Two Biological Reference Streams in Middle Tennessee. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 46(4): 824-837. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2010.00460.x Abstract: Temporal patterns of suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) duration and frequency (SSC regimes) were characterized and compared with biological impairment thresholds for two headwater streams in the Western Highland Rim of Tennessee. The SSC regimes were plotted as curves showing concentrations and durations of the annual longest and tenth-longest SSC excursions above 18 concentrations for water years 2005-2008 in Copperas Branch and water years 2006 and 2008 in Kelley Creek. Both streams have fish communities remarkably diverse for their small drainage basin areas (420 and 565 ha, respectively), and represent biological reference conditions with respect to SSC. SSC-regime curves were similar for the two sites across water years. The measured SSC regimes reached or exceeded published experimentally based SSC impairment thresholds and plotted below a proposed long-term SSC reference regime for the Interior Plateau ecoregion (Ecoregion 71), suggesting that neither the experimentally based thresholds nor the proposed SSC reference regime adequately reflect the relation between SSC and biological impairment for Western Highland Rim headwater streams. The SSC regimes of the two study streams were similar to the estimated SSC regime of an unimpaired East Tennessee trout stream. Additional field studies are needed to describe SSC regimes in streams of varying basin scale, level of impairment, and region.