Recreational swimmers' exposure to Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus in the Chesapeake Bay,Maryland, USA

Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus are ubiquitous in the marine–estuarine environment, but the magnitude of human non-ingestion exposure to these waterborne pathogens is largely unknown. We evaluated the magnitude of dermal exposure to V. vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus among swimmers recreating in Vibrio-populated waters by conducting swim studies at four swimming locations in the Chesapeake Bay in 2009 and 2011. Volunteers (n = 31) swam for set time periods, and surface water (n = 25) and handwash (n = 250) samples were collected. Samples were analyzed for Vibrio concentrations using quantitative PCR. Linear and logistic regressions were used to evaluate factors associated with recreational exposures. Mean surface water V. vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus concentrations were 1128 CFU mL^− 1 (95% confidence interval (CI): 665.6, 1591.4) and 18 CFU mL^− 1 (95% CI: 9.8, 26.1), respectively, across all sampling locations. Mean Vibrio concentrations in handwash samples (V. vulnificus, 180 CFU cm^− 2 (95% CI: 136.6, 222.5); V. parahaemolyticus, 3 CFU cm^− 2 (95% CI: 2.4, 3.7)) were significantly associated with Vibrio concentrations in surface water (V. vulnificus, p < 0.01; V. parahaemolyticus, p < 0.01), but not with salinity or temperature (V. vulnificus, p = 0.52, p = 0.17; V. parahaemolyticus, p = 0.82, p = 0.06). Handwashing reduced V. vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus on subjects' hands by approximately one log (93.9%, 89.4%, respectively). It can be concluded that when Chesapeake Bay surface waters are characterized by elevated concentrations of Vibrio, swimmers and individuals working in those waters could experience significant dermal exposures to V. vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus, increasing their risk of infection.     

大亚湾石化排污海域重金属污染及生态风险评价

为了解大亚湾石化排污区海域重金属污染现状及其潜在生态风险,对该湾的海水、表层沉积物和生物(鱼)体中7种重金属(Zn、Pb、Cu、Cd、Cr、As、Hg)含量及空间分布进行了研究,并分别采用综合污染指数法和生态风险指数法对海水和表层沉积物重金属污染程度及潜在生态危害进行了评价.结果表明,2011~2012年海水重金属含量较低,除部分站位Zn和Pb超过海水水质第一类标准外,未出现明显的重金属污染.海水重金属综合污染指数均值丰水期(0.72)>枯水期(0.38),表层沉积物重金属综合污染指数均值枯水期(7.77)>丰水期(5.70),枯水期表层沉积物重金属污染因子为Hg,其次为As和Zn;丰水期表层沉积物重金属污染因子为Hg,其次为Zn和Cu.调查海域丰水期和枯水期间采集到的生物(鱼)体内各种重金属均未超标.重金属含量的相关性分析表明,不同时期大亚湾石化排污区重金属间的相关程度差异明显.枯水期调查海域沉积物重金属潜在生态风险指数RI(129.20)>丰水期(102.86),枯水期有25%的站位出现高警级风险.调查海域沉积物重金属潜在生态风险在丰水期是远岸海域高于沿岸海域,湾口高于湾顶;而在枯水期则相反.Hg对大亚湾石化排污区海域存在强潜在生态风险,其他6种重金属均为轻微潜在生态风险.     

深圳湾及邻近沿岸水域总溶解氮的分布、组成和来源及氮形态的转化

依据2000—2011年每月1次的调查资料,简要描述和讨论了深圳湾及邻近沿岸水域中总溶解氮(TDN)质量浓度的时空分布,并结合现场盐度、总凯氏氮、氨氮、亚硝酸盐氮和硝酸盐氮实测数据探讨TDN的组成和来源,以及溶解无机氮(DIN)和溶解有机氮(DON)之间的转化.结果表明,深圳湾和伶仃洋东部沿岸的TDN质量浓度分别为(2.870±2.150)mg·L-1和(0.679±0.405)mg·L-1.在深圳湾,由于受到周边陆源排放的影响,TDN质量浓度在丰水期较低,枯水期较高.在伶仃洋东部沿岸,由于受到珠江径流量的制约,TDN质量浓度呈明显的年周期循环特征,6月达到最高,为1.103 mg·L-1左右,而12月最低,为0.420 mg·L-1左右.12年研究期间,伶仃洋东部沿岸TDN质量浓度的年际变化略呈上升趋势,从0.560 mg·L-1上升至0.702 mg·L-1;深圳湾TDN质量浓度在2000—2004年呈上升趋势,从2.140 mg·L-1上升至3.577 mg·L-1,2005—2011年则呈下降趋势,从3.266 mg·L-1下降至2.280 mg·L-1.研究海区中的TDN具有"保守性",主要来自陆源排放.依二元混合质量平衡模式估算的伶仃洋东部沿岸TDN的陆源质量分数约为68.5%,而深圳湾的均大于87.0%.DIN是TDN的主要赋存形态.在氮从河口向海迁移期间,复杂的生物地球化学过程使DIN转化为DON的速率大于DON转化为DIN的速率.     

大亚湾沉积物磷的形态特征及其潜在可释放性

为了认知沉积物磷释放对海湾磷负荷的影响,本文以SMT分级方法分析了大亚湾表层沉积物中磷的形态结构,探讨了沉积物磷的释放潜力的时空性差异及其影响因素。结果表明,大亚湾沉积物中总磷（TP）的平均含量为429.65×10-6,无机磷（IP）、有机磷（OP）的平均含量分别为286.57×10-6和143.08×10-6,IP占TP的67.83%;IP以酸提取态磷（HCl-P）为主,HCl-P的平均含量为237.10×10-6,碱提取态磷（NaOH-P）的平均含量为56.13×10-6;生物有效磷（OP+NaOH-P）占到总磷的45.63%。大亚湾沉积物磷具有较高的释放潜力,并呈现出夏季高于冬季,近岸区域高于湾中心及湾口的变化规律。相关性分析表明,沉积物粒径、氧化还原电位及有机质含量（尤其是浮游藻类的自生有机质）对沉积物磷的释放潜力有较大影响。     

南海典型断面表层沉积物稀土元素地球化学及其地质意义

对南海4个典型断面（18°N,10°N,6°N,113°E）75个表层沉积物的稀土元素地球化学进行分析,结果表明:大部分沉积物具有相对较低的稀土元素（REE）含量（平均∑REE为128 ppm）、高的轻重稀土比（LREE/HREE）、弱的Ce负异常和中等Eu负异常,REE关键参数的变化主要取决于地理位置和沉积环境。∑REE与Al₂O₃含量呈明显的正相关,而与CaO呈明显的负相关。陆源和生物碳酸盐源是本区沉积物的两个主要来源。较低的Eu/Eu*和（Gd/Yb）_N比值以及类似上地壳的REE配分模式,表明本区沉积物的源岩主要为后太古宙的长英质岩石。东部次海盆比西南次海盆的沉积物具有更低的LREE/HREE比值和更高的Eu/Eu*比值,指示有年轻火山岩（如吕宋岛弧等）产物带入到南海东部和南海东北部海域。     

海南新村湾海草床沉积物影响有机碳转化的主要酶活性特征及其对营养负荷的响应

本文以海南新村湾海草床生态系统为研究对象,根据环境中营养负荷梯度设置3条断面,探讨表层沉积物中影响有机碳（SOC）转化的主要酶活性的空间分布特征及其对营养负荷的响应。结果表明:SOC含量随营养盐含量上升而增加,二者呈现显著正相关（p<0.05）,沉积物多酚氧化酶、过氧化物酶、蔗糖酶和纤维素酶活性范围分别为0.10~0.24 mg/g/2 h、0.14~0.73 mg/g/2 h、0.24~0.69 mg/g/24 h和0.03~0.36 mg/g/72 h,平均值分别为0.17 mg/g/2 h、0.36 mg/g/2 h、0.43 mg/g/24 h和0.19 mg/g/72 h。在同一断面,泰来藻（Thalassia hemprichii）沉积物酶活性大多高于海菖蒲（Enhalus acoroides）;与其它类型滨海湿地比较,热带海草床中这4种酶的活性较低。根据与环境中营养盐浓度的相关性分析,这4种酶活性大多呈现随着营养负荷的增加而逐渐上升。因此,营养负荷增加可能会提高海草床表层沉积物的酶活性,加快其SOC的转化速率,改变海草床生态系统中碳的生物地球化学循环,可能会弱化海草床沉积物的碳存储,影响其重要的蓝碳功能。     

Use of principal components analysis (PCA) on estuarine sediment datasets: The effect of data pre-treatment

Principal components analysis (PCA) is a multivariate statistical technique capable of discerning patterns in large environmental datasets. Although widely used, there is disparity in the literature with respect to data pre-treatment prior to PCA. This research examines the influence of commonly reported data pre-treatment methods on PCA outputs, and hence data interpretation, using a typical environmental dataset comprising sediment geochemical data from an estuary in SE England. This study demonstrated that applying the routinely used log (x + 1) transformation skewed the data and masked important trends. Removing outlying samples and correcting for the influence of grain size had the most significant effect on PCA outputs and data interpretation. Reducing the influence of grain size using granulometric normalisation meant that other factors affecting metal variability, including mineralogy, anthropogenic sources and distance along the salinity transect could be identified and interpreted more clearly.     

Feasibility of storing CO2 in the Utsira formation as part of a long term Dutch CCS strategy: An evaluation based on a GIS/MARKAL toolbox

This study provides insight into the feasibility of a CO₂ trunkline from the Netherlands to the Utsira formation in the Norwegian part of the North Sea, which is a large geological storage reservoir for CO₂. The feasibility is investigated in competition with CO₂ storage in onshore and near-offshore sinks in the Netherlands. Least-cost modelling with a MARKAL model in combination with ArcGIS was used to assess the cost-effectiveness of the trunkline as part of a Dutch greenhouse gas emission reduction strategy for the Dutch electricity sector and CO₂ intensive industry. The results show that under the condition that a CO₂ permit price increases from €25 per tCO₂ in 2010 to €60 per tCO₂ in 2030, and remains at this level up to 2050, CO₂ emissions in the Netherlands could reduce with 67% in 2050 compared to 1990, and investment in the Utsira trunkline may be cost-effective from 2020–2030 provided that Belgian and German CO₂ is transported and stored via the Netherlands as well. In this case, by 2050 more than 2.1 GtCO₂ would have been transported from the Netherlands to the Utsira formation. However, if the Utsira trunkline is not used for transportation of CO₂ from Belgium and Germany, it may become cost-effective 10 years later, and less than 1.3 GtCO₂ from the Netherlands would have been stored in the Utsira formation by 2050. On the short term, CO₂ storage in Dutch fields appears more cost-effective than in the Utsira formation, but as yet there are major uncertainties related to the timing and effective exploitation of the Dutch offshore storage opportunities.     

Identification of anthropogenic effects and seasonality on water quality in Daya Bay, South China Sea

Thirteen water quality parameters from 12 monitoring stations were collected to study the effects caused by climate and anthropogenic activities on water quality in 2003 in Daya Bay, South China Sea. The data matrix has been built according to the results, which were analyzed by fuzzy c-mean cluster (FCM) and cluster analysis (CA). This analysis has identified anthropogenic effects and seasonal characters of water quality. The dry and wet seasonality have been demonstrated with FCM and CA. The precipitation and the Southeast Asian monsoons, northeasterly from October to the next April and southwesterly from May to September have also an important influence on water quality in Daya Bay. In the spatial pattern, two groups have been classified with FCM and CA. Cluster I consisted of the sites S3, S8, S10 and S11 in the west and north coastal parts of Daya Bay. Cluster I is mainly related to anthropogenic activities such as fish-farming. Cluster II consisted of the rest of the stations in the center, east and south parts of Daya Bay. Cluster II is mainly related to seawater input from South China Sea. Thus, fuzzy c-mean cluster and cluster analysis can be an important tool for the successful characterization of regional-scale water quality.