Microplastic pollution is occurring in most ecosystem, yet their presence in high altitude clouds and their influence on cloud formation and climate change are poorly known. Here we analyzed microplastics in cloud water sampled at the summits of Japan mountains at 1300–3776 m altitude by attenuated total reflection imaging and micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. We observed nine microplastics including polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polymethyl methacrylate, polyamide 6, polycarbonate, ethylene–propylene copolymer or polyethylene–polypropylene alloy, polyurethane, and epoxy resin. Microplastic were fragmented, with mean concentrations ranging from 6.7 to 13.9 pieces per liter, and with Feret diameters ranging from 7.1 to 94.6 μm. Microplastics bearing hydrophilic groups such as carbonyl and/or hydroxyl groups were abundant, suggesting that they might have acted as condensation nuclei of cloud ice and water. Overall, our finding suggest that high-altitude microplastics cloud influence cloud formation and, in turn, might modify the climate.
Stable isotope ratios of hydrogen and oxygen of water are useful tracers of the hydrological cycle. For example, isotopes monitor the evapotranspiration in vegetated areas, local snow ice processes and stream water flow processes. δ18O and δD in rainwater reflect the processes of evaporation, condensation and precipitation. Heavy rains thus modify the stable isotope ratio of ground water, stream water and transpiration water vapor. However, the controlling factors of δ18O and δD are not clear. Here we analyzed the inorganic ion concentration and stable isotope ratio in 38 normal rainwater and 15 heavy rainwater samples were collected in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, during four years from October 2012 to December 2015. Results show a decrease in δ18O and δD values with the total rainfall amount, thus highlighting the amount effect. δ18O and δD volume-weighted mean values in typhoon heavy rain were higher than the values estimated from amount effect, whereas δ18O and δD volume-weighted mean values in urban-induced heavy rain were lower. Typhoon heavy rain has high Na+ ratio and stable isotope ratios, while urban-induced heavy rain has low Na+ ratio and stable isotope ratio. 相似文献
Most landfilled plastic waste is a mixture or is in the form of composites with incombustible wastes such as glass, metals,
and ceramics. After hydrothermal treatment, including a steam-explosion process, the separation of mixed waste (MW) into organic
and inorganic substances becomes easy. However, the effect of hydrothermal pretreatment on the subsequent liquefaction of
organic substances from MW is not obvious. In this study, the effects on the liquefaction of polystyrene and high-density
polyethylene are discussed. Moreover, optimum conditions for the liquefaction of organic substances from hydrothermally treated
MW are identified. By means of this hydrothermal pretreatment, including the steam-explosion process, polystyrene and high-density
polyethylene can be significantly converted to oil by liquefaction at 300°–400°C. In comparison with liquefaction of hydrothermally
pretreated mixed waste (HMW) at 300°–400°C with a batch type reactor, the yield of oil increases significantly on liquefaction
using a semi-batch type reactor. It is considered that the radical chain and termination reactions among the radicals from
HMW were inhibited in the semi-batch type reactor. On liquefaction of HMW in a semi-batch reactor, the conversion of HMW to
oil was enhanced on increasing the liquefaction temperature to 350°C and the holding time to 60 min.
Chemical Feedstock Recycling & Other Innovative Recycling Techniques 6 相似文献
Prodigiosin is a reddish antibiotic pigment that plays an important role in the biocontrol of plant diseases by the bacterium
Serratia marcescens. However, its activity is unstable under agricultural conditions; further, it can be degraded by various environmental factors.
To examine the effect of epiphytic microbes on the stability of prodigiosin used for biological control processes, we collected
a total of 1,280 bacterial isolates from the phylloplane of cyclamen and tomato plants. Approximately 72% of the bacterial
strains isolated from the cyclamen plants and 66% of those isolated from the tomato plants grew on minimal agar medium containing
100 μg ml−1 prodigiosin. Certain isolates obtained from both plant species exhibited prodigiosin-degrading activity. We compared the
16S rRNA gene sequences derived from the isolates with sequences in a database. The comparison revealed that the sequences
determined for the prodigiosin-degrading isolates were homologous to those of the genera Pseudomonas, Caulobacter, Rhizobium, Sphingomonas, Janthinobacterium, Novosphingobium, and Rathayibacter. These results indicate that indigenous epiphytic microorganisms may interfere with the interaction between plant pathogens
and biocontrol agents by degrading the antibiotics produced by the agents. 相似文献
A simply fabricated microfluidic device integrated with a fluorescence detection system has been developed for on-line determination of ammonium in aqueous samples. A 365-nm light-emitting diode (LED) as an excitation source and a minor band pass filter were mounted into a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based microchip for the purpose of miniaturization of the entire analytical system. The ammonium sample reacted with o-phthaldialdehyde (OPA) on-chip with sodium sulfite as reducing reagent to produce a fluorescent isoindole derivative, which can emit fluorescence signal at about 425 nm when excited at 365 nm. Effects of pH, flow rate of solutions, concentrations of OPA-reagent, phosphate and sulfite salt were investigated. The calibration curve of ammonium in the range of 0.018-1.8 μupg/mL showed a good linear relationship with R2 = 0.9985, and the detection limit was (S/N = 3) 3.6 × 10-4 μupg/mL. The relative standard deviation was 2.8% (n = 11) by calculating at 0.18 μupg/mL ammonium for repeated detection. The system was applied to determine the ammonium concentration in rain and river waters, even extent to other analytes fluorescence detection by the presented device. 相似文献
TiO2 immobilized on SiO2 (TiO2/SiO2) have been prepared by sol-gel method and various ions of transition metals (Cr3+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+) were doped on the photocatalyst using wet impregnation method under reducing calcination atmosphere. The photocatalytic activity of metal doped TiO2/SiO2 towards phenol degradation under black light irradiation were investigated and compared with undoped TiO2/SiO2. The results showed that the photoresponse of Cu2+ and Zn2+ doped TiO2/SiO2 were larger than undoped TiO2/SiO2, indicating that the photogenerated carriers were separated more efficiently in Cu2+ and Zn2+ doped TiO2/SiO2. The reactivity was in the order of Cu2+ > Zn2+ > Ni2+ > Cr3+ > Co2+. The different photoreactivity was ascribed to combine effect of the different ionic radii and photocorrison tendency of the dopants. The sample was also characterized by surface analytical methods such as X-ray diffraction, scanning electron micrograph/electron dispersive X-ray analyzer and UV-Vis absorption spectrum. 相似文献
Urban horticulture, defined as plant production activities that are conducted in a city or suburb that produce horticultural
plants that are wholly or partially edible, and which are economically viable, has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions caused by the transportation of produce. Moreover, to increase productivity in limited areas and use limited resources
effectively, closed or semi-closed systems (i.e., greenhouses) are considered more advantageous than open systems (i.e., fields)
from which resources can easily escape into the surrounding environment. In this paper the significance of urban horticulture
in reducing CO2 emissions in the transportation process is discussed with reference to simple case studies. In the context of building or
rebuilding greenhouses suitable for urban horticulture, the present situation regarding resource inputs and outputs in greenhouses
is compared to that in open fields. The reduction of resource inputs and outputs in greenhouse production is also discussed. 相似文献
The swimming behavior of the marine cyclopoid copepodOithona davisae Ferrari and Orsi, collected in Tokyo Bay, Japan, between 1980 and 1983, was studied after acclimation to various food concentrations. Males and females exhibited forward and circular swimming movements. Males search mainly for mates, not for food. Their circular swimming behavior may serve for the mate search. The spiraling movement during mate-pursuit is peculiar to males. Circular swimming in females may function as a spontaneous search behavior for rich food areas and less crowded conditions. Females acclimated to a low food concentration, with net production about zero, responded sensitively to the increased food concentration by decreasing their swimming distance per unit time. Females acclimated to higher levels also responded similarly, but less sensitively. On the other hand, females kept without food exhibited no changes in swimming behavior and exhibited a stereotyped behavior at every food level. Females, when exposed to a low food level, may prefer to search for richer areas rather than capture food. The combined effect of the degree of internal activity (DIA) and the intensity of external stimulus (IES) determines the behavior pattern ofO. davisae. The behavioral response to IES depends on DIA. 相似文献