Experimental testing of an annular denuder and filter system to measure gas–particle partitioning of semivolatile bifunctional carbonyls in the atmosphere

An annular denuder and filter-pack system was tested in combination with the use of the in-tube and on-fiber O-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine hydrochloride (PFBHA)-derivatization technique to simultaneously sample and measure gaseous and particulate concentrations of semivolatile bifunctional carbonyl compounds in the atmosphere. Ozone was denuded from the sampling air to avoid oxidation and PFBHA was used as the sorbent by coating the sampling denuders and impregnating the filters. The collection efficiency of the system was evaluated under different conditions in photochemical smog chamber experiments and in field samplings of urban and suburban atmospheres. The effects of concentration level, temperature, and humidity on the collection efficiency were assessed. The system showed average collection efficiencies in one denuder from 81% for pyruvic acid and 82% for glyoxylic acid to 87% for hydroxyacetone and dihydroxyacetone. The capacity of the filters to collect the gaseous fraction that cannot be collected in the denuders was also evaluated, and the system allows a correction for this artifact. The application of this method to chamber experiments and field samplings offers an easy-to-apply technique with good results that can be used to evaluate the partition mechanisms of these compounds in the atmosphere.     

Effect of dietary protein on the distribution of cadmium,zinc and copper in rats following the oral administration of cadmium

Cadmium, 100 μg/rat/day, was administered orally 100 times (total amount of Cd administered, 10 mg), under conditions of low protein intake. The total amount of Cd in the liver and kidneys was as follows: females fed 20% protein diets > females fed 5% protein diets > males fed 20% protein diets ≒ males fed 5% protein diets. A decreased Zn concentration was found in the liver of males and the pancreas of males and females fed with the 5% protein diet. The Cu concentration in the kidneys was markedly influenced by low protein intake.     

Seasonal fluctuations in sand temperature: effects on the incubation period and mortality of loggerhead sea turtle (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Caretta</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">caretta</Emphasis>) pre-emergent hatchlings in Minabe,Japan

Incubation period, hatching success, and emergence percentage in loggerhead (Caretta caretta) nests were quantified during the 1993 and 1995 nesting seasons and following incubation seasons in Minabe, Wakayama, Japan. Sand and nest temperatures were also monitored. Over the seasons, daily mean sand temperature at nest depth fluctuated between 18.0°C and 33.3°C, with a steep increase in the second week of July and a peak in late August. Temperatures inside the nest chambers were a few degrees above those of the surrounding sand at the end of incubation. The incubation period ranged from 46 to 82 days. A significant negative correlation was found between mean sand temperature and incubation period. The relationship conformed to the day-degree concept. There was no significant seasonal trend in hatching success, but many pre-emergent hatchlings were found dead in most of the clutches during the warmest part of the season. Emergence percentage was correlated with mean sand temperature calculated for 4 days before emergence, suggesting that mortality may be due to heat. This heat-related mortality is considered to be a common phenomenon at our study site, because the peak in emergences coincides with the peak in high temperatures. These temperature effects on hatchling mortality must be taken into account in estimates of hatchling sex ratios. Because sand temperatures already exceed the optimal thermal range for incubation, this population is vulnerable to even small temperature increases resulting from global warming.     

Feasibility study of a passive aeration reactor equipped with vertical pipes for compost stabilization of cow manure.

Pilot-scale composting was carried out with cow manure to evaluate the performances of two passive aeration systems: a conventional passive aeration system equipped with horizontal pipes and an unusual passive aeration method based on air delivery by means of vertical pipes. The effects of both types of passive aeration apparatus were investigated in order to determine the degree of composting rate by continuously monitoring temperature, moisture content, organic matter, electrical conductivity, pH and C/N ratio in the piles. Temperatures in the range of thermophily (55-65 degrees C) were reached in all runs within 1-2 days then lasting for about 1 week, a span long enough for pathogen abatement. Results suggest that passive aeration carried out by vertical pipes is more effective for air delivery into compost piles than conventional passive aeration of air adduction with horizontal pipes. The variation in the number of vertical pipes was revealed to be an important parameter for the control of composting rate and temperature. Composting rates estimated from the heat balance equation were substantially in agreement with those computed through the conversion ratio of total organic matter decrement. The conversion ratios and composting rates obtained in this study using passive aeration with vertical pipes were well aligned with those found using forced air delivery systems.     

Emission control for precursors causing acid rain (V): Improvement of acid soil with the bio-briquette combustion ash

The bio-briquette technique which mixes coal, biomass and sulfur fixation agent and bio-briquettes under 3-5 t/cm^2 line pressure has aroused people‘s attention in view of controlling the air pollution and the acid rain. In this paper, the physicochemical properties of bio-briquette and its ash were investigated. And the acid soil was improved by the bio-briquette combustion ash, which contained nutritive substances such as P, N, K and had the acid-neutralizing capacity(ANC). The pH, EC, effective nutrient elements(Ca, Mg, K, P and N), heavy metal elements(AI, Cu, Cd, Cr, Zn and Mn) and acid-neutralizing capacity change of ash-added soils within the range of 0-10%, were also studied. Specially, when 5% bio-briquette combustion ash was added to the tested soil, the content of the effective elements such as Ca, Mg and K rose by 100 times, ? times and twice, respectively. The total nitrogen also increased by about twice. The results showed the oxyanions such as that of AI, Cu, Cd, Cr, Zn and Mn were not potentially dangerous, because they were about the same as the averages of them in Chinese soil. It is shown that the ANC became stronger, though the ANC hardly increases in the ash-added soil. On the basis of the evaluation indices, it is concluded that the best mixture ratio is to add 2.5%--8% of the bio-briquette combustion ash to the tested soil.     

Coadaptive changes in physiological and biophysical traits related to thermal stress in web spiders

Web spiders are considered to have expanded their habitats from dim to bright environments during the evolutionary history. Because they are sedentary predators exposed to the sun, they may have developed a suite of adaptive traits to cope with thermal stress. We examined the critical thermal maximum, spectral reflectance of solar energy by the body surface, and surface–volume ratio (SVR) for 11 spider species. Analysis of the four genera having a pair of species inhabiting both bright and dim environments showed that species in bright environments exhibited higher lethal temperatures, but spectral reflectance and SVR did not differ. Independent contrasts using the 11 species indicated that critical thermal maximum was positively correlated with spectral reflectance and spectral reflectance was negatively correlated with SVR. These results suggest that physiological tolerance to high temperatures and a biophysical mechanism to reduce heat gain evolved jointly during the history of habitat expansion in araneoid spiders.     

Reproductive effects and bioconcentration of 4-nonylphenol in medaka fish (Oryzias latipes)

The objective of this study was to investigate the reproductive success (fertility and fecundity) of medaka (Oryzias latipes) exposed to 4-nonylphenol (4-NP) in water and the viability of their F(1) offspring. In addition, we measured the bioconcentration of 4-NP in eggs. After a 21-d exposure to 100microg/l 4-NP, medaka showed reduced egg production and fertility. Hepatic vitellogenin levels were increased significantly in males treated with 10, 50 and 100microg/l of 4-NP. In the F(1) generations, the hatchability and time to hatching of embryos in the 100microg/l treatment group were adversely affected, and 2-7microg 4-NP/g egg was found in spawned eggs (the bioconcentration factor: 30-100). These results indicate that (1) 4-NP adversely affected the reproduction (fecundity and fertility) of adult medaka, (2) 4-NP accumulated in eggs through maternal transfer and (3) these levels of 4-NP were associated with adverse effects in the F(1) offspring.     

Effective diffusivity of the uranyl ion in a granite from Inada, Ibaraki, Japan

The effective diffusivity of uranium(VI) in Inada granite has been determined by through-diffusion. Experiments were performed at room temperature (20–25°C) in a 0.1 mol 1⁻¹ KCl solution where uranium is present predominantly as the poorly sorbing UO₂²⁺. An effective diffusivity (D_e) of (3.6 ± 1.6) × 10⁻¹⁴ m² s⁻¹ was obtained, close to that for uranine (nonsorbing organic tracer), but one order of magnitude lower than those obtained for Sr²⁺ and NpO₂⁺, and two orders of magnitude lower than that obtained for I⁻. According to well established theory, a proportional relationship exists between D_e and the diffusivity in the bulk of the solution (D_v). The effective diffusivity obtained in granite was not proportional to D_v. This agrees with results obtained for effective diffusivity in a Swedish granite. The ratio D_e/D_v was found to be not constant but increased with D_e or D_v. This result suggests a limit to the application of the theory.     

Correlation between stomach temperatures and ambient water temperatures in free-ranging loggerhead turtles,Caretta caretta

Instruments were attached to loggerhead turtles, Caretta caretta, at Kamoda Point, Japan in 1989 and on the Senri-coast, Japan in 1991. We simultaneously obtained stomach temperatures, ambient water temperatures and diving depths from four free-ranging loggerhead turtles during the internesting periods, using small recorders. These data were analyzed to understand how body temperature was maintained. Ambient water temperatures changed coincidentally when turtles moved up or down, but a stable stomach temperatures was maintained despite water temperature fluctuations of ca. 20 to 90 min in duration. Loggerhead turtles also experienced water temperature fluctuations longer than 24 h. Stomach temperatures responded to those water temperature changes with a time lag of several hours (160, 170, 230 and 240 min). Stomach temperatures were higher than ambient water temperatures throughout the experimental periods. The median values of the thermal difference between stomach and water temperatures were 1.1, 1.3, 1.5 and 1.7°C. The higher stomach temperatures are thought to be caused by metabolic heat production.     

Cytochrome p450 induction and gonadal status alteration in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) associated with the discharge of dioxin contaminated effluent to the Hikiji River,Kanagawa Prefecture,Japan

Accumulations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans and coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls were analyzed in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) collected in the Hikiji River, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan in which dioxin contaminated effluent was released during the period starting from November 1992 to March 2000. Higher levels of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin toxic equivalents were observed in carps collected downstream to the dioxin release site (contaminated site) than the reference site. Modulations of cytochrome p450 (CYP) enzyme in liver, serum estrogen concentration and gonadal somatic index (GSI) were also measured as biomarkers for the contaminants. Total CYP content in livers was markedly higher in male and female carps from the contaminated site relative to the reference site fish. The expression level of the cytochrome p450 1A and Ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activity were significantly higher in female carps from the contaminated site than from the reference site. A lower level of plasma estrogen was observed in carps from the contaminated site. The GSI in female carps from the contaminated site was smaller than that recorded at the reference site. The present study indicates that dioxins released to the Hikiji River might induce the CYP enzyme and inhibit the reproductive functions in common carps dwelling downstream from the release site.