Modeling oil dispersion under breaking waves. Part II: Coupling Lagrangian particle tracking with population balance model

Environmental Fluid Mechanics - Oil dispersion under a deep-water plunging breaker of height 0.15 m was studied by coupling the Lagrangian particle tracking code (NEMO3D) with the...     

GOLD-MINING EFFECTS ON STREAM HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY,CIRCLE QUADRANGLE,ALASKA1

Effects of placer mining on the hydrology and water quality of several interior Alaska streams were studied as part of a project on the impacts of placer mining on stream ecosystems. Surface and subsurface waters were analyzed in the field for conductivity, pH, temperature, alkalinity, total and calcium hardnesses, iron, copper, manganese, ammonia-N, nitrate-N, nitrite-N, settleable solids, and turbidity. Total, nonfiltrable, and filtrable residues were determined in the laboratory. In the streams placer mining increased turbidity, settleable solids, nonfiltrable and filtrable residues and total iron. Surface and subsurface water levels, as measured in wells driven in the stream beds, were correlated with stream flow. Fine sediment deposited on stream beds in mined drainages reduced the hydraulic contact between the surface and subsurface waters of the stream and caused the piezometric water level to be below the surface water level of the mined streams. This resulted in higher specific conductance and significantly lower dissolved oxygen concentrations in the subsurface waters of mined streams compared to their surface waters. No significant differences were found for any water quality characteristics comparing surface to subsurface waters for the unmined streams.     

Pliocene large-mammal assemblages from northern Chad: sampling and ecological structure

Numerous Pliocene large-mammal assemblages have been discovered in Chad over the last decade. They offer a unique opportunity to understand the settings in which important chapters of Hominid evolution took place in Central Africa. However, it is crucial to first investigate both sampling and taxonomic homogeneity for these Chadian assemblages because they occur over large sectors in a sandy desert that offers virtually no stratigraphic section. Using cluster analysis and ordination techniques, we show that the three Pliocene sectors from Chad are homogeneous and adequate sampling units. Previous stable isotope analyses on these assemblages have indicated that the environment became richer in C(4) plants between approximately 5.3 and 3.5-3 Ma. To test whether this environmental change has affected the structure of palaeo-communities, we assigned body mass, trophic and locomotor eco-variables to mammal species from the three sectors. Statistical analysis shows that the overall ecological structure of the assemblages is not linked with the opening of the plant cover, and eco-variables show no temporal trend from the oldest sector to the youngest. For example, there is no significant change in the relative diversity of grazing and browsing taxa, although mixed feeders are less diversified in the youngest sector than in the preceding one. This pattern apparently does not result from potential biases such as methodological artefacts or taphonomic imprint. Instead, it seems that local heterogeneous environmental factors have played a major role in shaping the ecological spectrum of Chadian mammal palaeo-communities during the Pliocene.     

Chromosome analysis of multipronuclear human oocytes after in vitro fertilization

Multipronuclear human eggs are frequent after in vitro fertilization. Their chromosome analysis can provide useful information. Before cleavage it can confirm the suspected poly-ploidy. Among the cleaved multipronuclear eggs it provides an estimation of the incidence of the possible return to diploidy. Ninety-four multipronuclear eggs were fixed at the first, second, or third cleavage according to the air-drying method of Tarkowski with or without colchicine exposure: 60 were successfully analysed. Twelve were stopped before cleavage (six without colchicine treatment and six with colchicine treatment). They were polyploid, confirming the cytological observation. Forty-eight eggs cleaved and were stopped by colchicine treatment and karyotyped. Seventeen eggs (35 per cent) had produced diploid embryos. Mosaicism was frequent (15 cases, 31 per cent). Triploidy was not frequent (8 eggs, 17 per cent). Haploidy constituted the remaining cases (8 eggs, 17 per cent). Our data indicate that the initial count of pronuclei is a reliable test. Multipronuclear one-cell oocytes were confirmed to be polyploid. Furthermore, the developmental capacity of the multipronuclear oocytes is variable. Most of them cleaved. However, many multipronuclear oocytes led to diploid cleaving eggs.     

Physiology of the digestive tract of the sedentary polychaete Terebellides stroemi

The digestive tract of the sedentary polychaete Terebellides stroemi, collected from 88 m depth on the French Catalan Coast, was studied using histological, biochemical, cytological and spectrographic techniques. The ciliated oesophagus possesses a ventral pharyngeal pouch with a muscle bulb. The stomach is divided into two parts, the fore stomach is ciliated, but the hind stomach takes the place of a gizzard with a thick peritrophic membrane and a thick muscle mantle. The digestive gland enters the digestive tract at the boundary of the two stomachal areas; it is comprised of epithelial lamellae with a glandular epithelium. The gland cells contain a spherocrystal secretion with a high calcium and phosphorus content. The cells are also absorbant due to their microvillar brush border and to the storage of glycogen and lipids in the basal epithelium. A biochemical study using the Apizym System confirmed the secretion of enzymes such as phosphatases, esterases and various carbohydrases. Tryptic and chymotryptic enzymes were visualized by biochemical hydrolysis of synthetic substrates. The epithelium of the fore intestine is similar in appearance to the epithelium of the digestive gland, but consists of a single epithelial layer. Hind intestine and rectum are only excretory systems. The presence of this digestive gland does not seem to have been described elsewhere in polychaetes but is similar to the Morren's gland of some oligochaetes. The study was carried out during 1982 and 1983.     

Effect of metals on the adsorption and extractability of 14C-phenanthrene in soils

The fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in contaminated soils may be affected by several environmental factors including the presence of co-contaminants. This study was conducted in order to assess the effect of metals on (i) the adsorption of 14C-phenanthrene in soils and (ii) its extractability and ability to form non-extractable residues. The first objective was accomplished using batch adsorption experiments with an uncontaminated agricultural soil spiked with the metals Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn. Adsorption of phenanthrene was significantly higher after the addition of the metals (Kf = 21.48 vs. 8.55) and the desorption less readily reversible when compared to the unspiked soil. The extractability of phenanthrene was assessed with incubation (4 months, laboratory conditions) and microlysimeter experiments (6 months, natural climatic conditions) on three soils spiked with metals. All the soils were labelled with 14C-phenanthrene. The amount of extractable phenanthrene residues was significantly higher when the metals had been added to the soils. Nevertheless, the quantity of non-extractable residues was non-significantly different between the spiked and unspiked soils. The mechanism leading to increased adsorption and extractability of phenanthrene in the presence of metals is still unknown. In perspective, it would be interesting to assess the bioavailability of PAHs in the presence of metals in further experiments.     

Metallothionein induction, antioxidative responses, glycogen and growth changes in Tubifex tubifex (Oligochaete) exposed to the fungicide, fenhexamid

Laboratory studies were conducted to determine the effects of different concentrations of fenhexamid (0.1, 1, and 10 mg L(-1)) on growth, oxidative stress, protein, glycogen, and metallothionein (MT) contents in Tubifex tubifex after an exposure of 2, 4, and 7 days. In addition, residues of the fungicide were followed in water and in the worms. In water, fenhexamid concentration decreased slowly (maximum -2 +/- 0.03% after 2 days for 1 mg L(-1)). In the worms, it increased after 4 days and decreased thereafter, confirming that the worms were exposed to the fungicide and not to a degradation product. LC50 values were between 95.22 +/- 5.36 and 32.11 +/- 1.8 mg L(-1) depending on exposure time. Exposure to fenhexamid had a negative effect on T. tubifex growth (maximum effect -12.2 +/- 0.8% after 7 days with 10 mg L(-1)) demonstrating the toxic effect of the pesticide. This growth rate decrease was accompanied by a reduction in protein and glycogen contents. The activity of catalase (CAT), and glutathione reductase (GR) increased in response to the fungicide demonstrating an oxidative stress in the worms. In contrast glutathion-S-transferase activity (GST) decreased. Exposure to fenhexamid also induced synthesis of MT (maximum +78 +/- 8% after 2 days for 10 mg L(-1)). The specificity of MT concentration increase in response to metals is discussed.     

Environmental impact of two successive chemical treatments in a small shallow eutrophied lake: Part I. Case of aluminium sulphate

This paper deals with the efficiency and effects of addition of aluminium sulphate on soft water quality of a shallow eutrophic lake. Almost all the controlled variables improved with treatment, especially nutrient concentrations such as soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and transparency. However, aluminium sulphate was not added in sufficient quantity to reduce the total phosphorus content. SRP concentration was significantly reduced in the short term. Moreover, external loading of phosphorus was high and not taken into account by the in-lake treatments. Finally, resuspension of sediment (polymictic lake) removed the alum hydroxide layer on the sediment surface, which reduced treatment effectiveness. No significant pH decrease was noted following alum addition. According to bibliographical toxicological data, monomeric aluminium content does not show any toxic effect on aquatic fauna and flora. In spite of low SRP in the water column, the treatment did not prevent appearance of Microcystis sp. colony (> 10 colony per ml) approximately 30 days after alum application.     

Miscanthus × Giganteus straw and pellets as sustainable fuels and raw material for activated carbon

Miscanthus × Giganteus is an excellent candidate for energy cultivation. Here we report, for the first time, the results of the pyrolysis of Miscanthus × Giganteus straw or pellets both in tubular reactor (3–6 g) and in rotary kiln (10–30 g). At 400–600°C the fractions obtained from both reactors are: solid 16–25 (wt.%); liquids 25–40; water 15–20 and gases 15–50. GC-MS analyses of pyrolysis liquids reveal the occurrence of phenolic derivatives and ethanol from lignin, furanic and linear oxygenated compounds from cellulose and hemicellulose. Finally the chars produced by the pyrolysis of M×G pellets in rotary kiln present good calorific values close to 29,000 J/g. Additionally, activated carbons with a BET surface area as high as 800–900 m²/g are produced from pellets. These results indicate that chars have a good potential either for energy production, e.g. briquetting, or as adsorbents precursors.