黔南州土壤中多环芳烃的污染现状及来源分析

采集贵州省黔南州12个县、市的表层(0～10 cm)土壤样品99个,采用高效液相色谱法(HPLC)对优先控制的16种多环芳烃(PAHs)进行定量分析,探讨了表层土壤中多环芳烃(PAHs)的污染状况及来源.结果表明,16种PAHs均有不同程度检出,12个县市土壤中∑PAHs平均含量在42.4～163.1 ng·g-1之间,含量最高的是都匀市,最低的是惠水县,全州平均值为68.7ng·g-1.通过与国内外土壤中PAHs含量的对比,研究区的土壤受到一定程度的PAHs污染,含量处于较低水平,各地污染程度有一定差距.在组成上,4环以上PAHs所占比例较高.根据2～3环和4～6环PAHs含量所占比例及菲(Phe)/蒽(Ant)、荧蒽(Flua)/芘(Pyr)比值,可以推断全州范围内PAHs主要来自工业燃煤、生活用煤的不完全燃烧和汽车尾气的污染等,污染水平与地区生产、生活方式密切相关.通过以上研究结果,可初步了解黔南州土壤中PAHs的污染现状,为以后土壤污染防治提供参考.     

临汾市售蔬菜中多环芳烃污染特征及致癌风险分析

为了研究临汾市食物中多环芳烃(PAHs)的污染特征及对人群的健康影响,本研究于2015年1月采集当地居民普遍食用的9种蔬菜,利用气相色谱-质谱联用仪(GC-MS)检测蔬菜中8种多环芳烃(Nap、Ace、Acy、Fle、Phe、Ant、Flu、Pyr)。研究表明,PAHs在9种蔬菜中均有检出,PAHs的总浓度范围是24.86~82.85 ng·g~(-1),平均为44.13 ng·g~(-1)。其中PAHs含量最高的是圆白菜(82.85 ng·g-1),最低的是山药(24.86 ng·g~(-1))。通过来源分析发现来源地蔬菜中PAHs主要来源于液体化石燃料燃烧。临汾市不同人群食用蔬菜引起的终身增量致癌风险(ILCR)在1.27×10~(-6)~7.07×10~(-6)范围内,在目前蔬菜消费量下存在潜在致癌风险。     

杭州市郊区表层土壤中的多环芳烃

采集了杭州市郊区表层土壤中多环芳烃样品,用内标法和色谱-质谱技术对多环芳烃化合物进行定量分析.美国环保总署推荐优先控制的16种多环芳烃均被检出,多环芳烃单体的质量浓度在1.49～87.43 ng·g-1之间;其中萘、芴、苊等低分子量芳烃的质量浓度相对较低; 、茚并[1,2,3-cd]芘、苯并[ghi]苝等高分子量芳烃的质量浓度相对较高,苯并[ghi]苝的质量浓度最高.16种多环芳烃的质量总浓度超过荷兰政府规定无污染土壤PAHs值的10～40倍;与国内外其他地区相比较,多环芳烃污染处于中等水平.多环芳烃Ant/(Phe+Ant)、BaA/(Chr+BaA)、Flua/(Pyr+Flua)等参数表明,多环芳烃主要来源于燃烧源,且以机动车尾气为主;BeP/(BeP+BaP)比值偏高,可能与土壤中的多环芳烃主要来源于大气沉降有关.     

江苏省部分地区农田表土多环芳烃含量比较及来源分析

采集江苏省兴化市、吴江市、宜兴市、南京市六合区的农田表层(0-15 cm)土壤样品共30个,用高效液相色谱测定土壤中16种多环芳烃(PAHs)含量.结果表明,土壤中∑PAHs含量介于45.6～2 286.8 μg·kg-1之间.兴化市、吴江市土壤中PAHs平均含量分别为1 370.3、801.1 μg·kg-1,污染严重;宜兴市、南京市六合区土壤中PAHs平均含量分别为210.8、126.7 μg·kg-1,为轻微污染或无污染.根据不同环数PAHs相对丰度和菲(Phe)/蒽(Ant)、荧蒽(Fla)/芘(Pyr)比值以及对4地的实际调查,发现调查区土壤样品中PAHs来源复杂,主要有机动车尾气排放,煤、草和木材的燃烧以及石油泄漏等.     

杭州市郊区表层土壤中多环芳烃的风险分析

采集杭州市郊区表层土壤中多环芳烃的样品,用色谱-质谱技术对多环芳烃化合物进行定量分析。美国环保总署推荐优先控制的16种多环芳烃单体质量分数在1.49～87.43 ng.g-1之间,萘、芴、苊等低分子量芳烃质量分数相对较低;、茚并[1,2,3-cd]芘、苯并[ghi]苝等高分子量芳烃质量分数相对较高,其中苯并[ghi]苝质量分数最高。对照荷兰的土壤标准,杭州市郊区表层土壤中的荧蒽、、茚并[1,2,3-cd]芘、苯并[ghi]苝超标比较严重,超标率100%;多环芳烃的Bap等效毒性当量是荷兰规定目标值的2倍;因此,杭州市郊区表层土壤中存在一定的潜在风险。多环芳烃Ant/（Phe＋Ant）、BaA/（Chr＋BaA）、Flua/（Pyr＋Flua）等参数表明,多环芳烃主要来源于燃烧源,且以机动车尾气为主;BeP/（BeP＋BaP）比值偏高,可能与土壤中的多环芳烃主要来源于大气沉降有关。     

混合型生物炭对寒冷地区PAHs污染土壤微生物修复的强化作用

北方寒冷地区存在大面积中低浓度多环芳烃(PAHs)污染土壤,潜在威胁生态安全与人群健康。以混合型生物炭(C500+W500)为载体,以耐冷假单胞菌(Pseudomonas sp.,S4)与高山被孢霉(Mortierella alpine,J7)为PAHs降解混合菌,采用吸附固定化方法制备生物修复材料,研究了低温条件下混合型/单一型生物炭加载耐冷混合菌对土壤菲(Phe)、芘(Pyr)的降解效果,并探讨生物炭对土壤中PAHs微生物降解过程的强化机理。结果表明：混合型生物炭固定化微生物对土壤Phe、Pyr的修复效果高于游离菌,亦高于单一类型生物炭固定化菌剂,并且修复效果与生物炭的混合比例有关。15℃条件下修复30 d后,以w=1.34%C500与w=0.67%W500混合生物炭为载体的固定化混合菌(CWJ2:1)对Phe和Pyr的去除率分别为51.87%和45.28%,高于游离菌25.81%和23.65%,亦高于单一生物炭固定化组15.63%-18.96%和13.62%-16.07%。生物炭添加后,减少了土壤对Phe的吸附量,促进土壤中PAHs进入生物相,提高土壤PAHs微生物可利用性。在P...     

某钢铁企业表层土壤中多环芳烃含量特征与生态风险评价

采集我国某大型钢铁企业22个表层土壤(0—20 cm)样品,采用气相色谱-质谱(GC-MS)分析了其中16种多环芳烃(PAHs)的含量,并采用荷兰、加拿大土壤标准及苯并[a]芘的毒性当量浓度(TEQBa P)对PAHs生态风险进行评价.结果表明,土壤中∑16PAHs含量范围为21.0—20062.0μg·kg~(-1),平均值为2564.7μg·kg~(-1),单体以Flu、Pyr的含量最高,较之背景点土壤中PAHs含量,平均富集系数为22.9(Bk F)—304.0(Flu).与国内同类研究相比,该钢铁厂表层土壤中PAHs污染处于中等水平.各采样点中PAHs组成主要以4环为主,占31.9%—100%,5环组分仅次于4环.相关性分析表明,PAHs低环(2—3环)与中环(4环)组分之间相关性更强,且二者与TOC相关性较高环组分显著.50.0%的采样点超过荷兰土壤标准目标参考值,该钢铁厂表层土壤已处于中等风险水平,污染主要集中在球团厂、焦化厂、炼铁厂和厂前交通繁忙区.其土壤潜在风险已呈增加趋势,有必要进行能源结构改造并加强污染监控.     

京津冀地区工业区土壤中多环芳烃的污染特征、源解析及生物因子相关性

调查京津冀地区工业土壤污染的状况及其与土壤生物因子的相互关系,为后续环境监测及修复提供参考。在京津冀地区代表性工业园区采集土壤样品,分析其中半挥发有机污染和土壤生物状况。土壤采集点周边的工业产业涵盖了金属冶炼及压延加工业,石油加工业、炼焦及核燃料加工业,交通运输设备制造业,化学原料及化学制品制造业等北方地区典型重工业产业。结果表明,芘(Pyrene,Pyr)、荧蒽(Fluoranthene,Flu)、邻苯二甲酸二(2-二乙基己基)酯(Bis(2-diethylhexyl) Phthalate,DEHP)检出排名前3,分别有98.4%、98.4%、96.9%的点位浓度高于检出限,其最高质量分数分别为2.84、2.79、5.72 mg·kg^-1。土壤中多环芳烃(Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons,PAHs)以4-6环PAHs为主,∑16PAHs质量分数中位值为0.67 mg·kg^-1,约有90.6%的样品中苯并[a]芘(Benzo[a]pyrene,BaP)的浓度高于检出限。荧蒽、芘、苯并[a]蒽(Benzo[a]a...     

混种模式对土壤中PAHs污染的强化修复作用

以菲、芘为多环芳烃(PAHs)的代表,选择多环芳烃初始浓度在20.05~322.06 mg·kg-1的污染土壤为研究对象,采用温室盆栽的方法,选用三叶草(Trifolium repens)单种、紫花苜蓿(Medicago sativa)单种和三叶草-紫花苜蓿混种3种模式,通过测定实验70 d后土壤中PAHs的浓度,研究不同种植模式下植物对PAHs污染的去除效果和修复机制。结果表明,(1)在实验浓度范围内,在三叶草和紫花苜蓿混种模式下,土壤中PAHs的去除率最高,明显高于单种模式。在70 d的实验期间,约有75.47%的菲和68.28%的芘被降解,而单种模式下三叶草和紫花苜蓿对菲的降解率分别为31.79%和64.03%,对芘的降解率分别为27.97%和52.18%。(2)相同污染水平下,茎叶部PAHs的含量低于根部,菲的含量低于芘,混种模式下植物体内PAHs的含量低于单种模式下的含量。(3)生物作用对土壤中菲的去除率在三叶草、紫花苜蓿组和混合组中分别为26.69%、58.98%和69.84%,对芘的去除率分别为25.29%、48.98%和65.86%,明显高于非生物作用。在生物作用中植物-微生物的联合效应是最主要的,在三叶草组、紫花苜蓿组和混合组中对菲、芘的去除率分别为6.95%、34.85%、42.95%和6.3%、26.78%、38.98%。微生物作用在各种模式下相同,混种模式下,植物作用、植物-微生物联合效应均高于单种模式。说明借助多物种混合种植模式对改善PAHs污染土壤修复效果、减少植物体内PAHs积累和缓解生态风险具有可行性。     

基于GIS的惠州市土壤多环芳烃空间分布特征研究

为了解惠州市土壤中多环芳烃的空间分布特征,采集了该市不同区县42个不同土地利用类型的表层土壤样品,并结合地理信息系统(GIS)技术分析惠州市土壤多环芳烃的空间分布特征,探清惠州市土壤多环芳烃的残留现状、来源和扩散趋势等,为惠州市土壤多环芳烃的污染治理奠定理论基础。结果表明,土壤中多环芳烃总量介于35.40~534.5μg·kg-1,平均值为123.09μg·kg-1。空间分布分析结果显示,Chr和Bkf具有强烈的空间相关性;Nap、Ace、Acy、Flu、Phe、Ant、Fla、Baa、Daa和Bbf具有中等空间相关性;Pyr、Bap、I1p和Bgp空间相关性很弱。趋势分析显示,16种多环芳烃在东西和南北方向上呈现出明显的增减规律性。Nap和Bkf由东向西、由南向北逐渐升高,而Flu、Pyr、Baa、Bbf、Ipy、Daa则恰好相反;Acy、Ace、Ant均由东向西、由南向北急剧升高,与Phe、Fla的变化趋势恰好相反;Chr和Bap在东西、南北方向没有明显趋势变化;Bgp在东西方向上,由东向西逐渐下降,而在南北方向上,呈明显的倒U形。利用GIS软件地统计模块进行了普通克里格(Ordinary Kriging)插值,结果显示16种多环芳烃组分分布特征各不相同,Ace、Acy和Ant等3种多环芳烃组分含量呈现出自西北向东南方向递增的趋势;Phe、Fla、Pyr、Bkf、Chr、I1p、Daa和Bgp等则恰好相反;Nap、Bbf和Bap等没有明显的分布趋势。Nap最高含量区面积很小,Bap高含量区面积较大,Baa在整个惠州市含量均较低,但在惠城区出现明显的岛状高含量分布区。以上结果反映了不同区域多环芳烃来源的不同,而多环芳烃的来源与当地经济社会发展情况及产业结构关系密切,主要包括工业"三废"、交通废气、石油燃烧和、生活垃圾焚烧等。     

Rapid,recurring, structured survey versus bioblitz for generating biodiversity data and analysis with a multispecies abundance model

A bioblitz inexpensively and quickly generates biodiversity data, but bioblitzes are often conducted with haphazard, unreplicated sampling. Results tend to be taxonomically, geographically, or temporally biased, lack metadata, and consist of lists of observed taxa that do not enable further analyses or correction for imperfect detection. A rapid, recurring, structured survey (RRSS) uses a structured sampling design and temporal and spatial replication to survey randomly selected sites on a conservation property. We participated in a loosely structured bioblitz and a subsequent RRSS at Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve in Springville (St. Clair County), Alabama (USA) to compare observed richness derived from the 2 survey approaches. The RRSS data structure enabled us to fit models that accounted for imperfect detection to estimate abundances, occupancy probabilities, and habitat associations. The loosely structured bioblitz data could not be used in such models. We present a new integrated multispecies abundance model that we applied to avian RRSS data. Our model extension enables estimation for the community, employs data augmentation to estimate the number of undetected species, and incorporates covariates. The RRSS generated a more comprehensive and less biased list of observed taxonomic richness than the loosely structured bioblitz (e.g., 73 vs. 45 bird species and 104 vs. 63 insect families from the RRSS vs. loosely structured bioblitz, respectively). Models fit to the RRSS data identified seasonal patterns in avian community composition and allowed for estimation of habitat–occupancy relationships for insect taxa. The RRSS protocol has potential for broad transferability as a standardized, quick, and inexpensive way to inventory biodiversity and estimate ecological parameters while providing an outreach opportunity.     

Compliance with and ecosystem function of biodiversity offsets in North American and European freshwaters

Land-use change via human development is a major driver of biodiversity loss. To reduce these impacts, billions of dollars are spent on biodiversity offsets. However, studies evaluating offset project effectiveness that examine components such as the overall compliance and function of projects remain rare. We reviewed 577 offsetting projects in freshwater ecosystems that included the metrics project size, type of aquatic system (e.g., wetland and creek), offsetting measure (e.g., enhancement, restoration, and creation), and an assessment of the projects’ compliance and functional success. Project information was obtained from scientific and government databases and gray literature. Despite considerable investment in offsetting projects, crucial problems persisted. Although compliance and function were related to each other, a high level of compliance did not guarantee a high degree of function. However, large projects relative to area had better function than small projects. Function improved when projects targeted productivity or specific ecosystem features and when multiple complementary management targets were in place. Restorative measures were more likely to achieve targets than creating entirely new ecosystems. Altogether the relationships we found highlight specific ecological processes that may help improve offsetting outcomes.     

Representation of the world's biophysical conditions by the global protected area network

Protected areas (PAs) are often implemented without consideration of already existing PAs, which is likely to cause an overrepresentation of certain biophysical conditions. We assessed the representativeness of the current PA network with regard to the world's biophysical conditions to highlight which conditions are underprotected and where these conditions are located. We overlaid terrestrial and marine PAs with information on biophysical conditions (e.g., temperature, precipitation, and elevation) and then quantified the percentage of area covered by the PA network. For 1 variable at a time in the terrestrial realm, high temperature, low precipitation, and medium and very high elevation were underrepresented. For the marine realm, low and medium sea surface temperature (SST), medium and high sea surface salinity (SSS), and the deep sea were underrepresented. Overall, protection was evenly distributed for elevation across the terrestrial realm and SST across the marine realm. For 2 variables at a time, cold and very dry terrestrial environments had mostly low protection, which was also the case for low SST and low and medium SSS across most depths for marine environments. Low protection occurred mostly in the Sahara and the Arabian Peninsula for the terrestrial realm and along the Tropic of Capricorn and toward the poles for the marine realm. Although biodiversity measures are of prime importance for the design of PA networks, highlighting biophysical gaps in current PAs adds a frequently overlooked perspective. These gaps may weaken the potential of PAs to conserve biodiversity. Thus, our results may provide useful insights for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to establish a more comprehensive global PA network.     

Quantitative composition of the defensive secretion ofBledius species (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae) is adapted to naturally occurring predators

Summary The adaptation of defensive secretions to their target organisms was examined for the abdominal gland secretions ofBledius furcatus, B. spectabilis andB. arenarius. Therefore the target organisms of the secretion of theseBledius species (i.e. their predators) had to be identified. At the collection sites examined these were the earwigLabidura riparia, the antCataglyphis bicolor, the flyLispe candicans, different carabids of the generaPogonus, Dichirotrichus, Dyschirius, Bembidion andCalathus and the wading birdsHaematopus ostralegus andCalidris alba. The secretion of the abdominal glands contains the toxin ptoluquinone dissolved in either-dodecalactone and 1-undecene (B. furcatus andB. spectabilis) or in octanoic acid and octyloctanoate (B. arenarius). The ratio of these solvents is species-specific. Application experiments using some of the natural insect predators (L. riparia, C. bicolor, Pogonus, Di. gustavii, Dyschirius) revealed that these solvent ratios provided a more effective deterrent than other possible ratios. Thus by combining the solvents in certain ratios, the capability of cuticular penetration and therefore the effectiveness of the defensive secretions are adapted to their natural targets.     

Democracy versus development: New urban debates

The politics of development includes subtexts of choice, as underpinned by community consensus (or lack of it), against the larger backdrop of a liberal democracy, with its intricate power structures that influence the choice of concepts and often lead to complicity rather than consent. A dilemma exists between the understanding of field-level practitioners and that of academics, whose understandings of progress differ. Progress can (and often does) imply long-term change across generations whereas development is often more a matter of crisis management and delivering tangible results to end-users. This makes it a bone of contention across political systems, irrespective of local or global dynamics. Development can emerge as a tool to be wielded for power and further political mileage at the expense of progress. Progress cannot be studied as a counterpoint to development as the sense of history is often missing in development interventions. Development tends to be piecemeal as its very logic often stems from the rationale of power. This is not to suggest, however, that development is only about politics; it is definitely more than the politics of everyday life and involves all of civil society that requires its critical and immediate attention. In this sense, it has become a priority for politicians with an underlying agenda designed to out-manouevre dissent and all statements of protest.     

A palaeo-hydrogeological model for arsenic contamination in southern and south-east Asia

An argument is presented in which areas of natural arsenic contamination of modern groundwaters throughout Asia have a common origin. Arsenic originally accumulated in oceanic ferro-manganoan sediments of the eastern Palaeo-Tethys. This was further concentrated through oceanic crustal extinction in what later became the south-east Chinese accreted mineralised terrain. Proto-Himalayan uplift of this area created the palaeo-drainage systems of the Ganges – Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Mekong, and Red Rivers, with consequent headwater erosion of arsenic-rich sediments. Their downstream deposition as immature and easily redistributed Neogene sandstones, silts, and iron-rich clays has created secondary and tertiary reservoirs of adsorbed and authigenic arsenic, from which the current arsenic-rich groundwaters have evolved. Considering river basins within the above palaeo-hydrogeological framework provides a basis for assessing the risk of arsenic in groundwater basins of south and south-eastern Asia.     

A framework to measure the wildness of managed large vertebrate populations

As landscapes continue to fall under human influence through habitat loss and fragmentation, fencing is increasingly being used to mitigate anthropogenic threats and enhance the commercial value of wildlife. Subsequent intensification of management potentially erodes wildness by disembodying populations from landscape-level processes, thereby disconnecting species from natural selection. Tools are needed to measure the degree to which populations of large vertebrate species in formally protected and privately owned wildlife areas are self-sustaining and free to adapt. We devised a framework to measure such wildness based on 6 attributes relating to the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of vertebrates (space, disease and parasite resistance, exposure to predation, exposure to limitations and fluctuations of food and water supply, and reproduction). For each attribute, we set empirical, species-specific thresholds between 5 wildness states based on quantifiable management interventions. We analysed data from 205 private wildlife properties with management objectives spanning ecotourism to consumptive utilization to test the framework on 6 herbivore species representing a range of conservation statuses and commercial values. Wildness scores among species differed significantly, and the proportion of populations identified as wild ranged from 12% to 84%, which indicates the tool detected site-scale differences both among populations of different species and populations of the same species under different management regimes. By quantifying wildness, this framework provides practitioners with standardized measurement units that link biodiversity with the sustainable use of wildlife. Applications include informing species management plans at local scales; standardizing the inclusion of managed populations in red-list assessments; and providing a platform for certification and regulation of wildlife-based economies. Applying this framework may help embed wildness as a normative value in policy and mitigate the shifting baseline of what it means to truly conserve a species.     

Sexual Predators,Energy Development,and Conservation in Greater Yellowstone

Abstract: In the United States, as elsewhere, a growing debate pits national energy policy and homeland security against biological conservation. In rural communities the extraction of fossil fuels is often encouraged because of the employment opportunities it offers, although the concomitant itinerant workforce is often associated with increased wildlife poaching. We explored possible positive and negative factors associated with energy extraction in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), an area known for its national parks, intact biological diversity, and some of the New World's longest terrestrial migrations. Specifically, we asked whether counties with different economies—recreation (ski), agrarian (ranching or farming), and energy extractive (petroleum)—differed in healthcare (gauged by the abundance of hospital beds) and in the frequency of sexual predators. The absolute and relative frequency of registered sex offenders grew approximately two to three times faster in areas reliant on energy extraction. Healthcare among counties did not differ. The strong conflation of community dishevel, as reflected by in‐migrant sexual predators, and ecological decay in Greater Yellowstone is consistent with patterns seen in similar systems from Ecuador to northern Canada, where social and environmental disarray exist around energy boomtowns. In our case, that groups (albeit with different aims) mobilized campaigns to help maintain the quality of rural livelihoods by protecting open space is a positive sign that conservation can matter, especially in the face of rampant and poorly executed energy extraction projects. Our findings further suggest that the public and industry need stronger regulatory action to instill greater vigilance when and where social factors and land conversion impact biological systems.     

Cost‐effective conservation of an endangered frog under uncertainty

How should managers choose among conservation options when resources are scarce and there is uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of actions? Well‐developed tools exist for prioritizing areas for one‐time and binary actions (e.g., protect vs. not protect), but methods for prioritizing incremental or ongoing actions (such as habitat creation and maintenance) remain uncommon. We devised an approach that combines metapopulation viability and cost‐effectiveness analyses to select among alternative conservation actions while accounting for uncertainty. In our study, cost‐effectiveness is the ratio between the benefit of an action and its economic cost, where benefit is the change in metapopulation viability. We applied the approach to the case of the endangered growling grass frog (Litoria raniformis), which is threatened by urban development. We extended a Bayesian model to predict metapopulation viability under 9 urbanization and management scenarios and incorporated the full probability distribution of possible outcomes for each scenario into the cost‐effectiveness analysis. This allowed us to discern between cost‐effective alternatives that were robust to uncertainty and those with a relatively high risk of failure. We found a relatively high risk of extinction following urbanization if the only action was reservation of core habitat; habitat creation actions performed better than enhancement actions; and cost‐effectiveness ranking changed depending on the consideration of uncertainty. Our results suggest that creation and maintenance of wetlands dedicated to L. raniformis is the only cost‐effective action likely to result in a sufficiently low risk of extinction. To our knowledge we are the first study to use Bayesian metapopulation viability analysis to explicitly incorporate parametric and demographic uncertainty into a cost‐effective evaluation of conservation actions. The approach offers guidance to decision makers aiming to achieve cost‐effective conservation under uncertainty.     

Comparison of the insecticidal effects of water extracted and intact aromatic plants onAcanthoscelides obtectus,a bruchid beetle pest of kidney beans

Summary Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) is one of the most damaging pests of kidney beans,Phaseolus vulgaris L. worldwide. However, aromatic plants from the families Lamiaceae, Lauraceae, Myrtaceae and Poaceae can protect kidney beans by direct or delayed insecticidal effect, through increased adult mortality and inhibition of beetle reproduction (both oviposition and adult emergence). The efficiency of hydrodistillated and intact plants fromThymus vulgaris andT. serpyllum, Mentha piperata, Rosmarinus officinalis, Satureia hortensis, Eucalyptus globulus, Laurus nobilis, Origanum vulgare, andCymbopogon nardus was compared. For both extracts,Origanum vulgare had the best effect. The insecticidal effect was induced by more than the essential oils because no significant difference was noticed between distilled and intact plants extract. Inhibition of reproduction was particularly important. These results suggest that lipidic as well as non lipidic, allelochemicals, such as phenolics, or non-protein amino-acids, or flavonoids may be involved in the toxicity of aromatic plants to this beetle.