Towards a renewed research agenda in ecotoxicology

New concerns about biodiversity, ecosystem services and human health triggered several new regulations increasing the need for sound ecotoxicological risk assessment. The PEER network aims to share its view on the research issues that this challenges. PEER scientists call for an improved biologically relevant exposure assessment. They promote comprehensive effect assessment at several biological levels. Biological traits should be used for Environmental risk assessment (ERA) as promising tools to better understand relationships between structure and functioning of ecosystems. The use of modern high throughput methods could also enhance the amount of data for a better risk assessment. Improved models coping with multiple stressors or biological levels are necessary to answer for a more scientifically based risk assessment. Those methods must be embedded within life cycle analysis or economical models for efficient regulations. Joint research programmes involving humanities with ecological sciences should be developed for a sound risk management.     

Levels of Heavy Metals in Karelian Wildlife, 1989–91

The levels of mercury, cadmium, lead, copper, nickel, zinc and iron were determined in samples of liver, kidney, skeletal muscle, heart, lungs and hair of moose (N = 67), reindeer (N = 45), brown bear (N = 18), wild boar (N = 10) and squirrel (N = 18) shot in Karelia from 1989 to 1991 during regular hunting. The highest heavy-metal concentrations were found in livers, kidney, lungs and hair samples. The samples of muscle contained lowest levels of these elements. The tissues of moose, reindeer and brown bear were contaminated with heavy metals to a greatest extent. Lowest levels of toxicants were recorded in wild boar. Results indicate a widespread presence of heavy metal in the environment and in wildlife, which may be linked to acid precipitation. There was no evidence of these elements accumulated to toxic levels, but Karelian public have been informed that the eating of moose liver and kidney would probably result in their exceeding WHO standard weekly intake limit for cadmium.     

铬(Ⅵ)在铁(Ⅲ)-丙酮酸盐体系中的紫外光还原研究

初步研究了含有Fe(Ⅲ)及丙酮酸盐的溶液在紫外灯照射下对铬(Ⅵ)的光还原反应．考察了溶液pH值、Fe(Ⅲ)浓度、丙酮酸钠浓度、Cr(Ⅵ)浓度对反应的影响;分析了光还原反应的动力学及反应机制．结果表明,铁．丙酮酸盐体系能够光还原Cr(Ⅵ);最佳pH为3．0;Cr(Ⅵ)光还原的初始速率随着加入的铁(Ⅲ)、丙酮酸盐、Cr(Ⅵ)初始浓度的增加而增加;表观动力学方程为-dCcr(Ⅵ)／dt=0．023[Cr(Ⅵ)]^0.25[Fe(Ⅲ)^0.96[CH3COCOONa]^0.66;Fe(Ⅲ)-丙酮酸盐配合物光解产生的Fe(Ⅱ)是Cr(Ⅵ)的主要还原剂．     

Fe(Ⅲ)-OH配合物同时引发水中Cr(Ⅵ)光还原和甲基橙光氧化

在250 W照明金属卤化物灯(λ≥313 nm)照射下,Fe(Ⅲ)-OH配合物能同时引发水中Cr(Ⅵ)的光还原和偶氮染料甲基橙的光氧化,并且同时Cr(Ⅵ)光还原和甲基橙光氧化效率都较Fe(Ⅲ)-OH配合物单独作用下的效率有明显提高.在c(Fe(Ⅲ)),c(Cr(Ⅵ))和c(甲基橙)为25～200 μmol/L时,pH=3.0是最佳值;c(Fe(Ⅲ))的增加同时有利于Cr(Ⅵ)光还原和甲基橙光氧化;c(Cr(Ⅵ))为25 μmol/L时,其自身光还原的初始速率最大,甲基橙光氧化反应初始速率则随c(Cr(Ⅵ))和c(甲基橙)的增大而减小.      

Theoretical consideration of methane emission from sediments

A stationary theory of gas emission from sedimentary (active) layers of wetlands is developed. The theory takes into account methane generation in a sedimentary layer (W1) and its depth dependence, (W1(z)), the solubility, determined by Henry's constant (K1), and the mobility of methane molecules set by the methane diffusion coefficient (D1). The exponential dependence of methane generation rate decay with depth is considered in more detail. The penetration of atmospheric nitrogen into the active layer is also taken into consideration. It is shown that the value of diffusion methane flux from sedimentary layers is proportional to square root(K1D1P0W10) where P0 characterizes the atmospheric pressure and W10 characterizes the maximum generation rate. Coefficients relating the diffusion methane flux to the square root(K1D1P0W10) value are calculated for the different depth dependencies of methane generation rate. The values of these coefficients are not much different from unity for most real cases.