Diet of four species of deep-sea isopods (Crustacea: Malacostraca: Peracarida) in the South Atlantic and the Southern Ocean

The food of four species of asellote isopods (Crustacea, Malacostraca), Haploniscus rostratus, Haploniscus unicornis, Acanthocope galatheae and Betamorpha fusiformis, was evaluated by analysis of their gut contents. The isopods were sampled at several stations on the abyssal plains of Guinea Basin, Angola Basin and Cape Basin (southeast Atlantic), the Weddell Sea abyssal plain and the Antarctic continental slope during the DIVA and ANDEEP expeditions in 2000, 2001 and 2005. While all species had mineral particles in their guts and mucus material was the most frequent food item, the remaining gut contents differed among species. Betamorpha fusiformis fed mostly on phytodetritus, especially in the Southern Ocean basins and ingested along with it whole calcareous foraminifers. Acanthocope galatheae showed some differences in gut contents between basins, but in the Guinea Basin, the contents were to a large extent stercomata, i.e., waste pellets of soft-walled foraminifers, i.e., the Komokiaceae. Indications were that the haploniscids were feeding on detritus and agglutinating foraminifers (stercomata). This indicates spatial differences in food availability for this diverse group of deep-sea isopods and the importance of poorly known foraminiferal groups, like the Komokiaceae, as a food source in the deep sea.     

Result-oriented approaches to the management of drinking water catchments in agricultural landscapes

Management of water quality in drinking water catchments is of ongoing, high importance as nitrate concentrations are often still very high. We analysed the Augsburg catchment in Germany, a unique example where a result-oriented approach has been implemented. We investigated the historical evolution of the water protection programme, the result-oriented payment contracts with farmers, and farmer satisfaction with the contracts, based on interviews with the water utility and farmers as well as an analysis of the literature. Today, the water protection programme has been successfully implemented, and a significant reduction of nitrate concentration was achieved due to the following factors: (1) investment of non-negligible amounts of money for high compensation and remuneration payments, (2) different contract options, (3) farmers’ participation in the negotiation process for result-oriented payment contracts, (4) involvement of “outside” people and institutions in negotiation processes, (5) anticipation of starting a programme when nitrate levels were still far below legislative thresholds, and (6) a political and legislative framework allowing direct decisions by a water supplier.     

Optimization of circular plate separators with cross flow for removal of oil droplets and solid particles

A circular gravity-phase separator using coalescing medium with cross flow was developed to remove oil and suspended solids from wastewaters. Coalescence medium in the form of inclined plates promotes rising of oil droplets through coalescence and settling of solid particles through coagulation. It exhibits 22.67% higher removal of total suspended solids (TSS) compared to separators without coalescing medium. Moreover, it removed more than 70% of oil compared to conventional American Petroleum Institute separators, which exhibit an average of 33% oil removal. The flowrate required to attain an effluent oil concentration of 10 mg/L (Q(o10)) at different influent oil concentrations (C(io)) can be represented by Q(o10) x 10(-5) = -0.0012C(io) + 0.352. The flowrate required to attain an effluent TSS concentration of 50 mg/L (Q(ss50)) at different influent TSS concentrations (C(iss)) can be represented by Q(ss50) x 10(-5) = 1.0 x 10(6) C(iss)(-2.9576). The smallest removable solid particle size was 4.87 microm.     

Spatial distribution of ciguateric fish in the Republic of Kiribati

Ciguatera is food poisoning caused by human consumption of reef fish contaminated with ciguatoxins (CTXs). The expanding international trade of tropical fish species from ciguatera-endemic regions has resulted in increased global incidence of ciguatera, and more than 50 000 people are estimated to suffer from ciguatera each year worldwide. The Republic of Kiribati is located in the Pacific Ocean; two of its islands, Marakei and Tarawa, have been suggested as high-risk areas for ciguatera. The toxicities of coral reef fish collected from these islands, including herbivorous, omnivorous and carnivorous fish (24% [n = 41], 8% [n = 13] and 68% [n = 117], respectively), were analyzed using the mouse neuroblastoma assay (MNA) after CTX extraction. The MNA results indicated that 156 fish specimens, or 91% of the fish samples, were ciguatoxic (CTX levels >0.01 ng g⁻¹). Groupers and moray eels were generally more toxic by an order of magnitude than other fish species. All of the collected individuals of eight species (n = 3-19) were toxic. Toxicity varied within species and among locations by up to 10 000-fold. Cephalapholis argus and Gymnothorax spp. collected from Tarawa Island were significantly less toxic than those from Marakei Island, although all individuals were toxic based on the 0.01 ng g⁻¹ threshold. CTX concentrations in the livers of individuals of two moray eel species (Gymnothorax spp., n = 6) were nine times greater than those in muscle, and toxicity in liver and muscle showed a strong positive correlation with body weight. The present study provides quantitative information on the ciguatoxicity and distribution of toxicity in fish for use in fisheries management and public health.     

Co-cropping for phyto-separation of zinc and potassium from sewage sludge

The use of sewage sludge as a fertilizer and soil amendment has resulted in high concentrations of heavy metals in the soil limiting its use. The present study was carried out to find the possibility of phyto-separating toxic and beneficial elements from the sludge using suitable plants. Of the five plants tested the hyperaccumulator Sedum alfredii H achieved the greatest removal of Zn, while shoots of Alocasia marorrhiza accumulated high content of K. Co-cropping these two plants on the sludge verified the previous observations on A. marorrhiza and the shoots of this plant could accumulate more than 120 g K kg(-1) dry matter in the median growth stage. Zn hyperaccumulated in Sedum's shoots to an extent more than 10 g kg(-1) dry matter; K concentrated five to ten times in the Alocasia's shoots which could be used as a good organic-K-fertilizer. Hence, the two elements were simultaneously phytoseparated and could be recycled. Furthermore, cultivation of plants in the sludge resulted in significant decreases in total Zn but kept the favorable agronomic characteristics of the sludge material, such as pH, organic matter content, and NPK concentrations and ameliorated its biological stability. These results suggest that simultaneous phyto-separation of toxic and beneficial elements from sewage sludge are possible by co-cropping using specific plants without the input of any chemicals.     

胶州市农村地区地下水水质现状评价及保护措施

对胶州市农村地区地下水水质进行了监测分析,根据分析结果,利用单因子评价法和综合指数评价法,评价胶州市地下水污染程度。从评价结果可以看出,马店镇等乡镇水质较好,属清洁级;里岔镇等乡镇水质属轻污染级。通过查找原因,发现水质污染主要由农业面源、生活污水和畜禽养殖粪便所致,据此提出了建立污水集中处理厂,规范农村畜禽养殖行业和发展绿色农业等建议。     

Foraminiferan (Protozoa) epizoites on Arctic isopods (Crustacea) as indicators of isopod behaviour?

A total of 38 219 specimens representing 63 species of marine isopods (Crustacea) from deep and shallow Arctic waters were studied in a search for epizoic foraminifers (Protozoa). Foraminifers occurred on 21 species, and their frequency was generally low. A total of 290 foraminifer individuals were found, of which 289 belonged to Cibicides wuellerstorfi, C. refulgens and Cibicides spp. (juveniles) (Cibicidae), while only a single individual belonged to Cornuspira sp. (Cornuspiridae). The foraminifers were most frequent on species of the families Munnidae, Ischnomesidae (suborder Asellota) and on Gnathia stygia (suborder Gnathiidea), but were totally absent from the asellote families Janiridae, Haploniscidae, Nannoniscidae and from the suborder Epicaridea. The foraminifers were mainly located on the legs (Munna acanthifera), the anterior part of the body (Haplomesus quadrispinosus, heteromesus frigidus), or on the head (G. stygia adults). The epizoic foraminifers occur mainly on epibenthic isopods, which do not or only rarely clean themselves. The foraminifers are known to prefer elevated substrata, and in this the habitat of the isopods and the foraminifers coincide. The size of individual isopods was not related to the presence or absence of foraminifers.     

香港及珠三角地区MODIS高分辨率气溶胶光学厚度的反演

为了有效解决地区性和城市范围内的气溶胶分布并反演陆地上气溶胶的性质,一种针对中分辨率成像光谱辐射计(MODIS)的气溶胶反演新算法应运而生.本文首先通过改良的最小反射率技术(MRT)来确定季节性的地表反射率和利用瑞利通道辐射率中解析出大气上气溶胶的反射率来估计气溶胶的反射系数.结果表明,MRT地表反射率的图像和MODIS地表反射系数的产品(MOD09)有很好的契合度.两者的相关系数高达0.9.此外,考虑到不同气溶胶的光学性质和太阳观测组合对计算辐射传输的影响,本研究还制定了全面广泛的差算表(LUT).由此产生的卫星500m分辨率的气溶胶光学厚度(AOT)和香港太阳光度计(AERONET)及MicrotopsⅡ观测资料的相关系数r分别为0.96和0.87(相伴概率值P<0.0001).该研究证明了城区高分辨率气溶胶反演的可行性,还能帮助研究气溶胶的分布和城区大气瞬态污染的影响.此外,MODIS 500m分辨率的气溶胶光学厚度图像还可用于研究跨境气溶胶,使定位珠江三角洲区域污染源变得可行.     

Revisiting nitrous acid (HONO) emission from on-road vehicles: A tunnel study with a mixed fleet

Nitrous acid (HONO) is an important precursor of OH radicals in the atmosphere. In urban areas, emissions from vehicles are the main source of air pollutants, including reactive nitrogen. Previously reported emission ratios of HONO (HONO/NO_x) from vehicles were measured in the late 1990s and need to be updated due to the significant changes in emission control technologies. We measured the emission ratio of a fleet of vehicles (38% diesel on average) from March 11 to 21, 2015, in a road tunnel in Hong Kong. The emission ratio of 1.24% (±0.35%) obtained is greater than the commonly adopted 0.8% or 0.3%. The elevated emission ratio is found to be related to the presence of vehicles equipped with diesel particle filters (DPFs). Positive correlation between HONO and black carbon (BC) shows that HONO and BC were emitted together, while the lack of correlation or even anticorrelation between HONO/NO_x and BC indicates that the BC-mediated conversion of NO₂ to HONO in the dark was insignificant in the immediate vicinity of the emission sources.

Implications: Vehicular emission is a key source for HONO in the urban atmosphere. However, the most commonly used emission ratio HONO/NO_x in modeling studies was measured more than 15 years ago. Our tunnel study suggests that a mixed fleet nowadays has a higher emission ratio, possibly because of the diesel particle filter (DPF) retrofit program and the growing share of Euro IV or more advanced diesel vehicles. Our study also provides new insight into the role of black carbon in HONO formation from vehicles.