On the antheridium development of Sargassum micracanthum and S. ringgoldianum

The antheridium development of Sargassum micracanthum Yendo and S. ringgoldianum Harvey was investigated with the iron-alum haematoxylin staining method and the aceto-carmine squash technique. Synapsis occurred at the prophase in the first division while the chromatin threads were still contracted, and the nucleus passed through diakinesis. The first two divisions in the antheridium were meiotic, and the four other divisions (mitosis) followed without cytokinesis. In S. micracanthum and S. ringgoldianum, 31 and 32 chromosomes respectively were counted at prometaphase in the first division, 64 sperm nuclei were organized in the final division. After the final division cytoplasmic cleavage occurred, and 64 sperm cells were finally completed in an antheridium. Centrosomes and asters could not be discerned at any of the divisions, because of limited magnification facilities. A peculiarly shaped small body was observed at the prophase of the first division, but not thereafter.     

Hemopoietic cell kinetics after intraperitoneal single injection of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in mice

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a widely spread environmental pollutant. Homopoietic system is one of the targets of TCDD in laboratory animals including monkeys. The present study is the hemopoietic cell kinetics in mice, from the severe depression in cellularity of bone marrow and CFU-GM, to their recovery after the intraperitoneal injection of high dosage of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). The bone-marrow cellularity and CFU-GM were severely decreased to 37.8% and 48% of the control, respectively until day 1 after exposure to TCDD. They were, however, soon recovered, even overshot the control value. Subsequently, they tended to show decrease and oscillation again to and under the control value. In conclusion, our cell kinetic study has proven the oscillation in bone-marrow cellularity and CFU-GM during the recovery period, of which the observation seems to be useful to extend our understanding in the hematotoxicity of TCDD.     

Immobilization of B,F, Cr,and As in alkaline coal fly ash through an aging process with water

Fourteen different alkaline coal fly ashes (CFAs) were used for the experiment, in which each sample was mixed with water to be 28.6 % of water content (wt/wt) and aged for 1–4 weeks at 10–30 °C. This simple treatment is advantageous for decreases in water-soluble B, F, Cr, and As. Compared to non-aged CFAs, their water-soluble fractions remained 0.56–88 %, 21–85 %, 0.37–93 % and 2.6–88 %, respectively, after aging for a week at 20 °C, although the amounts of Cr and As released from some CFA samples increased. Considering the significant decrease in elution of sulfate, Ca and Al after aging, the immobilization, namely prevention of toxic element elution, could be related to formation of secondary minerals such as portlandite, gypsum and ettringite. Immobilization of B and Cr tends to proceed preferentially under colder conditions. Aging at higher temperatures enhances the leachability of Cr in some CFA samples. Contrary to the behavior of B and Cr, water-soluble F effectively decreases under warmer conditions.     

Seasonal and spatial distribution of trace elements in the water and sediments of the Tsurumi River in Japan

The Tsurumi, a class-one Japanese river, has a significant metal loading originating from urban environment. Water and sediment samples were collected from 20 sites in winter and summer, 2009 and were analyzed to determine and compare the extent of different trace element enrichment. A widely used five-step sequential extraction procedure was also employed for the fractionation of the trace elements. Concentrations of zinc, copper, lead, chromium, and cadmium were three to four times higher than that of reference values and downstream sediments are much more polluted than the upstream sites. Geochemical partitioning results suggest that the potential trace metal mobility in aquatic environment was in the order of: cadmium > zinc > lead > copper > cobalt > chromium > molybdenum > nickel. About 80.2% zinc, 77.9% molybdenum, 75.3% cobalt, 63.7% lead, 60.9% copper, 55.1% chromium, and 39.8% nickel in the sediment were contributed anthropogenically. According to intensity of pollution, Tsurumi river sediments are moderately to heavily contaminated by zinc, lead, and cobalt. Enrichment factor values demonstrated that zinc, lead, and molybdenum have minor enrichment in both the season. The pollution load index (PLI) has been used to access the pollution load of different sampling sites. The area load index and average PLI values of the river were 7.77 and 4.93 in winter and 7.72 and 4.89 in summer, respectively. If the magnitude of pollution with trace metal in the river system increases continuously, it may have a severe impact on the river’s aquatic ecology.     

Blue carbon in human-dominated estuarine and shallow coastal systems

Estuarine and shallow coastal systems (ESCS) are recognized as not only significant organic carbon reservoirs but also emitters of CO₂ to the atmosphere through air–sea CO₂ gas exchange, thus posing a dilemma on ESCS’s role in climate change mitigation measures. However, some studies have shown that coastal waters take up atmospheric CO₂ (C_atm), although the magnitude and determinants remain unclear. We argue that the phenomenon of net uptake of C_atm by ESCS is not unusual under a given set of terrestrial inputs and geophysical conditions. We assessed the key properties of systems that show the net C_atm uptake and found that they are often characteristic of human-dominated systems: (1) input of high terrestrial nutrients, (2) input of treated wastewater in which labile carbon is highly removed, and (3) presence of hypoxia. We propose that human-dominated ESCS are worthy of investigation as a contributor to climate change mitigation.     

焚烧飞灰预处理工艺及其无机氯盐的行为研究

研究表明WCCB(水洗+烧结)预处理工艺能更高效更节能地去除飞灰中的氯化物,以利于其作为水泥原料的使用.水洗工艺条件为两次水洗、水固比均为3∶1,搅拌速度均为150 r.min-1,第一次水洗时间5 min,第二次水洗时间10 min;利用原焚烧炉进行烧结处理,温度为1 000℃,10%氧气含量,停留时间1 h.本研究尝试了3种焚烧飞灰:节煤器出来的飞灰、石灰干法中和酸性气体后布袋收集的飞灰、NaHCO3中和酸性气体后布袋收集的飞灰.经该工艺处理后,焚烧飞灰残渣量减少20%以上,氯减少94%以上,尤以NaHCO3中和得到的飞灰削减量为最,分别达到了72.1%和99.8%.采用同步辐射的X射线吸收近边精细结构(X-ray absorption near edge structure,XANES)和普通X射线衍射(X-ray Diffraction,XRD)相结合的方法研究分析无机氯盐在工艺过程中的行为,发现焚烧飞灰中主要的氯盐主要有NaCl、KCl和CaCl2.焚烧炉烟气净化系统的酸中和剂会影响无机氯盐的生成.焚烧飞灰中难溶性无机氯盐的结构与Friedel’s盐相似,并且与CaCl2有关系.     

PCDDs & PCDFs from the MSW incinerator

In the range 670 to 900°C furnace temperature, dioxin concentrations strongly depended upon the oxygen concentration in the flue gas. In keeping the oxygen concentration at apploximately 12 percent, dioxin was reduced in the flue gas. For further dioxin reduction from the flue gas, it was the most effective process to treat the flue gas with bag filter system with 120 C operation.     

4种水生植物根际磷素耗竭效应的比较

利用短期盆栽试验和抖根法研究了喜旱莲子草(Alternanthera philoxeroides)、香蒲(Typha latifolia)、慈姑(Sagittaria sagittifolia)和芦苇(Phragmites communis)4种水牛植物的根际磷素耗竭效应,分析了植物根冠比、根系形态、磷素吸收有效性和磷素利用有妓性等差异,探讨了植物根际磷素耗竭效应的吸收利用调控机制.结果表明,与非根际土壤(有效磷含量为167.53ìg穏-1)相比,喜旱莲子草、香蒲、慈姑和芦苇根际土壤的有效磷含量分别减少至80.17、124.37、155.38和161.75ìg穏-1,水溶性磷含量分别减少了81%、42%、18%和16%.喜旱莲子草根系较小,但磷素吸收有效性高(1.32 mg·m-1),其磷素利用有效件不高(0.34 g·mg-1);香蒲的磷素吸收有效性虽然比喜旱莲子草低许多(0.52 mg·m-1),但其有强大的根系,且磷素利用有效性高(0.64 g·mg-1)、根冠比大(0.35).喜旱莲子草和香蒲耗竭根际磷素的能力高于慈姑和芦苇.