Survival strategies of plants associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on toxic mine tailings

A field survey of metal concentrations and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) components of plants growing on five mining sites was conducted in Chenzhou City, Hunan Province, Southern China and a control site in Hong Kong. Significant differences were observed in the average concentrations of total heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd) and one metalloid (As) in contaminated soils compared with the control site. Gramineae and Compositae were the dominant plant families growing on mine tailings, with Chrysanthemum moritolium (common chrysanthemum), Cynodon dactylon (Bermuda grass), Miscanthus florodulus (Sword grass) and Pteris vittata (Ladder brake fern) commonly found at all sites. AM fungal colonization was detected in most of the plants. Comparing the four common plant species, three components of mycorrhizal colonization (arbuscules, vesicles and coiled hyphae) were found in the roots of C. dactylon and P. vittata growing at Do Shun Long (DSL) mine site. Concentrations of As in fronds were 24-fold higher than in roots of P. vittata with the highest mycorrhizal colonization rate (73%) among all sampling sites. Extensive mycorrhizal colonization (85%) was also recorded in the roots of C. dactylon with As accumulation 57 times higher than in shoots. The four common plants found in metal contaminated sites had developed different strategies for survival in the contaminated sites with the aid of indigenous AM fungi.     

Exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers associated with consumption of marine and freshwater fish in Hong Kong

Concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in market fish have not previously been reported in Hong Kong. Axial and ventral muscles from 10 each common species of freshwater and marine fish purchased from markets in Hong Kong were analyzed for 22 PBDEs. Among the 10 freshwater fish species, spotted snakehead (Channa maculate) contained the highest level of PBDEs in ventral muscle (130 ng g(-1) wet wt.). For marine fish, bigeye (Priacanthus macracanthus) showed significantly higher levels of PBDEs (60.7 ng g(-1)wet wt. in ventral tissue) than all other marine species. The levels of PBDEs in fish samples ranged from 0.53 to 130 ng g(-1)wetwt. The tetrabrominated congener BDE-47 and pentabrominated BDE-99 were the predominant congeners, which accounted for 27% and 30%, respectively, of the total PBDEs. Daily PBDE intake was calculated according to the different fish consumption rate for Hong Kong consumers, and the results ranged from 222 to 1198 ng day(-1) for marine fish and 403-2170 ng day(-1) for freshwater fish. The daily PBDE intake from fish reported here were higher than those reported from the United States (8.94-15.7 ng day(-1)) and Europe (14-23.1 ng day(-1)).     

A fluorometric method to determine rainfastness,volatilization and photostability of glyphosate from glass slides,after application of vision® with two adjuvants

Abstract

A fluorometric method was developed to quantify glyphosate loss from glass surfaces after exposure to the natural forest environment. The method was based on the principle of converting glyphosate into glycine, followed by the fluorogenic labeling with o‐phthalaldehyde. A fluorometer (with λ _Ex = 360 nm / λ_Em =430 nm) was used to quantify the derivatized fluorogenic compound. Response was linear over the concentration range of 143, 286, 572, 858 and 1144 μg of glyphosate (acid equivalent, AE) per mL of the diluted Vision® formulation. Three end‐use mixtures of Vision® were prepared, each at a concentration of 28.6 g AE/L, without and with two adjuvants, Ethomeen® T/25 at 4.5 mL/L and Silwet^® L‐77 at 1.5 mL/L. Several dilutions of the end‐use mixtures were applied on glass slides without and with the coating of cuticular wax extracted from trembling aspen foliage. The slides were left for 5 days in a forest opening to determine rainfastness, volatilization and photostability of glyphosate. The residues were quantified using the method developed. Three calibration curves were required because Silwet decreased the fluorometric response of glyphosate, whereas Ethomeen increased it. The minimum detection limit was 143 μg of glyphosate/mL. Glyphosate was resistant to volatilization and sunlight‐mediated degradation, regardless of the presence of wax coating or the adjuvants. About 64% of the applied glyphosate was washed off after a 9.6 mm rainfall when no adjuvant was present. Both adjuvants provided some amount of rain‐protection to glyphosate, but Silwet reduced the washoff to a greater extent (46%) than Ethomeen (55%).     

Online update of model state and parameters of a Monte Carlo atmospheric dispersion model by using ensemble Kalman filter

For an atmospheric dispersion model designed for the assessment of nuclear accident consequences, some uncertain model parameters, such as source term and weather conditions, may influence the reliability of model predictions. In this respect, good estimations of both model state and uncertain parameters are required. In this paper, an ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) based method for simultaneous state and parameter estimation, using off-site radiation monitoring data, is presented. This method is based on a stochastic state space model, which resembles the parameter errors with stochastic quantities. Three imperfect parameters, including the source release rate, wind direction and turbulence intensity were perturbed simultaneously, and multiple parameter estimation were performed. Having been tested against both simulated and real radiation monitoring data, the method was found to be able to realistically reconstruct the real scene of dispersion, as well as the uncertain parameters. The estimated parameters given by EnKF nicely converge to the true values, and the method also tracks the temporal variation of those parameters.     

Gaseous and particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) emissions from commercial restaurants in Hong Kong

Commercial cooking emissions are important air pollution sources in a heavily urbanized city. Exhaust samples were collected in six representative commercial kitchens including Chinese restaurants, Western restaurants, and Western fast-food restaurants in Hong Kong during peak lunch hours. Both gaseous and particulate emissions were evaluated. Eight gaseous and twenty-two particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were quantified in this study. In the gaseous phase, naphthalene (67-89%) was the most abundant PAH in all of the exhaust samples. The contribution of acenaphthylene in the gaseous phase was significantly higher in emissions from the Chinese restaurants, whereas fluorene was higher in emissions from the Western cooking style restaurants (i.e., Western restaurants and Western fast-food restaurants). Pyrene is the most abundant particulate PAH in the Chinese restaurants (14-49%) while its contribution was much lower in the Western cooking style restaurants (10-22%). Controlled cooking conditions were monitored in a staff canteen to compare the emissions from several different local cooking styles, including deep frying, steaming, and mixed cooking styles (combination of steaming and frying). Deep frying produced the highest amount of total gaseous PAHs, 6 times higher than the steaming. However, steaming produced the highest particulate emissions. The estimated annual gaseous PAH emissions for the Chinese restaurants, Western restaurants, and Western fast-food restaurants were 255, 173, and 20.2 t y(-1) whereas 252, 1.9, and 0.4 t y(-1) were estimated for particulate phase PAH emissions. The study provides useful information and estimates for PAH emissions from commercial cooking exhaust in Hong Kong.     

Respiratory Suspended Particulate (RSP) Concentration and its Implications to Roadside Workers: A Case Study of Hong Kong

The adsorption behaviour of Diphenylamine (DPAM), napthylamine ( NAM), napthylamine ( NAM)and aniline on pyrolusite and activated carbon has been studied.Pyrolusite shows remarkable sorption capacity for DPAM and NAM as compared to aniline; (the adsorption followed theorder:Activated Carbon: DPAM = NAM > AnilinePyrolusite: DPAM: NAM > NAM> Aniline)The maximum adsorption of NAM occurred in theconcentration range 4–20 g mL^-1 on pyrolusite (95%)and 4–50 g mL^-1 on activated carbon (100%). Theeffect of various doses of activated carbon on the adsorption of NAM confirm Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms where asFreundlich isotherm is obeyed by pyrolusite. The adsorption of NAM on both the absorbents is not affected in presence ofDPAM over a wide range of their initial concentrations (20–60g mL^-1). The desorption studies of NAM onpyrolusite was carried out by batch as well as column processes.Excellent results were obtained when a mixture of n-hexane andisopropanol (91:1) was used as eluent.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi enhance both absorption and stabilization of Cd by Alfred stonecrop (Sedum alfredii Hance) and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) in a Cd-contaminated acidic soil

A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to compare the phytoextraction efficiencies of Cd by hyper-accumulating Alfred stonecrop (Sedum alfredii Hance) and fast-growing perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) from a Cd-contaminated (1.6 mg kg⁻¹) acidic soil, and their responses to the inoculations of two arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal strains, Glomus caledonium 90036 (Gc) and Glomus mosseae M47V (Gm). Ryegrass and stonecrop were harvested after growing for 9 and 27 wk, respectively. Without AM fungal inoculation, the weekly Cd extraction by stonecrop (8.0 μg pot⁻¹) was 4.3 times higher than that by ryegrass (1.5 μg pot⁻¹). Both Gc and Gm significantly increased (P < 0.05) root mycorrhizal colonization rates, soil acid phosphatase activities, and available P concentrations, and thereby plant P absorptions (except for Gm-inoculated ryegrass), shoot biomasses, and Cd absorptions (except for Gm-inoculated stonecrop), while only Gc-inoculated stonecrop significantly accelerated (P < 0.05) the phytoextraction efficiency of Cd by 78%. In addition, both Gc and Gm significantly decreased (P < 0.05) phytoavailable Cd concentrations by 21–38% via elevating soil pH. The results suggested the potential application of hyper-accumulating Alfred stonecrop associated with AM fungi (notably Gc) for both extraction and stabilization of Cd in the in situ treatment of Cd-contaminated acidic soil.