The objective of this paper is to propose a hybrid approach for the source apportionment of primary and secondary species of PM2.5 in the city of Tangshan. The receptor-based PMF (Positive Matrix Factorization) is integrated with the emission inventory (EI) to form the first hybrid method for the source apportionment of the primary species. The hybrid CAMx-PSAT-CP (Comprehensive Air Quality Model with Extensions–Particulate Source Apportionment Technology–Chemical Profile) approach is then proposed and used for the source apportionment of the secondary species. The PM2.5 sources identified for Tangshan included the soil dust, the metallurgical industry, power plants, coalfired boilers, vehicles, cement production, and other sources. It is indicated that the PM2.5 pollution is a regional issue. Among all the identified sources, the metallurgy industry was the biggest contribution source to PM2.5, followed by coal-fired boilers, vehicles and soil dust. The other-source category plays a crucial role for PM2.5, particularly for the formation of secondary species and aerosols, and these other sources include non-specified sources such as agricultural activities, biomass combustion, residential emissions, etc. The source apportionment results could help the local authorities make sound policies and regulations to better protect the citizens from the local and regional PM2.5 pollution. The study also highlights the strength of utilizing the proposed hybrid approaches in the identification of PM2.5 sources. The techniques used in this study show considerable promise for further application to other regions as well as to identify other source categories of PM2.5.
Oxidation of aldehydes to carboxylic acids is a major reaction. Conventionally, this reaction is carried out with oxidants and metal catalysts, thus producing unwanted metal waste. Recently, aqueous media have been used as an alternative for toxic organic solvents. Here, we tested the clathrate-structured, neutral hydrogen peroxide adduct 4Na2SO4·2H2O2·NaCl for the oxidation of aldehydes to acids in aqueous solution. We found that various aromatic, heteroaromatic and aliphatic aldehydes were selectively oxidized to corresponding acids in 70–98% yields. This simple acid–base treatment allows to separate easily the acid product in high purity without any organic solvent. Moreover, the adduct is produced using 25% H2O2, with inexpensive sodium sulphate, Na2SO4, and sodium chloride, NaCl. The adduct is a non-toxic white crystalline solid, readily soluble in water, and easy to handle. 相似文献
Seasonal pattern of transport pathways and potential sources of PM2.5 in Chengdu during 2012–2013 were investigated based on hourly PM2.5 data, backward trajectories, clustering analysis, potential source contribution function (PSCF), and concentration-weighted trajectory (CWT) method. The annual hourly mean PM2.5 concentration in Chengdu was 97.4 mg·m–3. 5, 5, 5 and 3 mean clusters were generated in four seasons, respectively. Short-distance air masses, which travelled within the Sichuan Basin with no specific source direction and relatively high PM2.5 loadings (>80 mg·m–3) appeared as important pathways in all seasons. These short pathways indicated that emissions from both local and surrounding regions of Chengdu contributed significantly to PM2.5 pollution. The cities in southern Chengdu were major potential sources with PSCF>0.6 and CWT>90 mg·m–3. The northeastern pathway prevailed throughout the year with higher frequency in autumn and winter and lower frequency in spring and summer. In spring, long-range transport from southern Xinjiang was a representative dust invasion path to Chengdu, and the CWT values along the path were 30-60 mg·m–3. Long-range transport was also observed in autumn from southeastern Xinjiang along a northwesterly pathway, and in winter from the Tibetan Plateau along a westerly pathway. In summer, the potential source regions of Chengdu were smaller than those in other seasons, and no long-range transport pathway was observed. Results of PSCF and CWT indicated that regions in Qinghai and Tibet contributed to PM2.5 pollution in Chengdu as well, and their CWT values increased to above 30 mg·m–3 in winter.
In Asian countries such as China, Malaysia, Pakistan, India, Taiwan, Korea, Japan and Hong Kong, ambient air total suspended particulates and PM2.5 concentration data were collected and discussed during the years of 1998–2015 in this study. The aim of the present study was to (1) investigate and collect ambient air total suspended particulates (TSP) and PM2.5 concentrations for Asian countries during the past two decades. (2) Discuss, analyze and compare those particulates (TSP and PM2.5) annual concentration distribution trends among those Asian countries during the past two decades. (3) Test the mean concentration differences in TSP and PM2.5 among the Asian countries during the past decades. The results indicated that the mean TSP concentration order was shown as China > Malaysia > Pakistan > India > Taiwan > Korea > Japan. In addition, the mean PM2.5 concentration order was shown as Vietnam > India > China > Hong Kong > Mongolia > Korea > Taiwan > Japan and the average percentages of PM2.5 concentrations for Taiwan, China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Mongolia and Other (India and Vietnam) were 8, 21, 6, 8, 14, 13 and 30%, respectively, during the past two decades. Moreover, t test results revealed that there were significant mean TSP and PM2.5 concentration differences for either China or India to any of the countries such as Taiwan, Korea and Japan in Asia during the past two decades for this study. Noteworthy, China and India are both occupied more than 60% of the TSP and PM2.5 particulates concentrations out of all the Asia countries. As for Taiwan, the average PM2.5 concentration displayed increasing trend in the years of 1998–1999. However, it showed decreasing trend in the years of 2000–2010. As for Korea, the average PM2.5 concentrations showed decreasing trend during the years of 2001–2013. Finally, the average PM2.5 concentrations for Mongolia displayed increasing trend in the years of 2004–2013. 相似文献
The pollution characteristics of PM2.5 and correlation analysis with meteorological parameters in Xinxiang during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Prime Ministers’ Meeting were investigated. During the whole meeting, nine PM2.5 samples were collected at a suburban site of Xinxiang, and the average concentration of PM2.5 was 122.28 μg m?3. NO3?, NH4+, SO42? accounted for 56.8% of the total water-soluble ions. In addition, with an exception of Cl?, all of water-soluble ions decreased during the meeting. Total concentrations of crustal elements ranged from 6.53 to 185.86 μg m?3, with an average concentration of 52.51 μg m?3, which accounted for 82.5% of total elements. The concentrations of organic carbon and elemental carbon were 7.71 and 1.52 μg m?3, respectively, lower than those before and after the meeting. It is indicated that during the meeting, limiting motor vehicles is to reduce exhaust emissions, delay heating is to reduce the fossil fuel combustion, and other measures are to reduce the concentration of PM2.5. The directly dispersing by mixing layerheight increase and the indirectly reducing the formation of secondary aerosol by low relative humidity, andthese are the only two key removing mechanisms of PM2.5 in Xinxiang during the meeting. 相似文献
The spontaneous oxidation process of pristine silicon (Si) limits its application as photocatalyst or electrode in aqueous solution or moist air. Covering a protection layer on Si surface is an effective approach to overcome this disadvantage. In this paper, α-Fe2O3 is demonstrated to be an excellent alternative as a protection material. α-Fe2O3 layer was deposited around each p-type Si micropillar (SiMP) in well-ordered array by chemical bath deposition method. The diameter of SiMP was 5 mm and the thickness of α-Fe2O3 layer was about 20 nm. The photoeletrochemical stability of SiMP/α-Fe2O3 was proved by 10 circles cyclic voltammetry testing. Compared with SiMP, its optical absorption and photocurrent density improved 2 times and 4 times, respectively, and its onset potential for hydrogen evolution moved positively about 0.4 V. These improved performances could be ascribed to the enhanced photogenerated-charge-separation efficiency deriving from built-in electric field at the interface between Si and α-Fe2O3. The above results show an effective strategy to utilize Si material as photocatalyst or electrode in aqueous solution or moist air.
To decompose efficiently hydrogen cyanide (HCN) in exhaust gas, g-Al2O3-supported bimetallicbased Cu–Ni catalyst was prepared by incipient-wetness impregnation method. The effects of the calcination temperature, H2O/HCN volume ratio, reaction temperature, and the presence of CO or O2 on the HCN removal efficiency on the Cu–Ni/g-Al2O3 catalyst were investigated. To examine further the efficiency of HCN hydrolysis, degradation products were analyzed. The results indicate that the HCN removal efficiency increases and then decreases with increasing calcination temperature and H2O/HCN volume ratio. On catalyst calcined at 400°C, the efficiency reaches a maximum close to 99% at 480 min at a H2O/HCN volume ratio of 150. The HCN removal efficiency increases with increasing reaction temperature within the range of 100°C–500°C and reaches a maximum at 500°C. This trend may be attributed to the endothermicity of HCN hydrolysis; increasing the temperature favors HCN hydrolysis. However, the removal efficiencies increases very few at 500°C compared with that at 400°C. To conserve energy in industrial operations, 400°C is deemed as the optimal reaction temperature. The presence of CO facilitates HCN hydrolysis andincreases NH3 production. O2 substantially increases the HCN removal efficiency and NOx production but decreases NH3 production.
Air quality in schools is an important public health issue because children spend a considerable part of their daily life in classrooms. Particulate size and chemical composition has been associated with negative health effects. We studied levels of trace element concentrations in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in indoor versus outdoor school settings from six schools in Chañaral, a coastal city with a beach severely polluted with mine tailings. Concentrations of trace elements were measured on two consecutive days during the summer and winter of 2012 and 2013 and determined using X-ray fluorescence. Source apportionment and element enrichment were measured using principal components analysis and enrichment factors. Trace elements were higher in indoor school spaces, especially in classrooms compared with outdoor environments. The most abundant elements were Na, Cl, S, Ca, Fe, K, Mn, Ti, and Si, associated with earth’s crust. Conversely, an extremely high enrichment factor was determined for Cu, Zn, Ni and Cr; heavy metals associated with systemic and carcinogenic risk effects, whose probably origin sources are industrial and mining activities. These results suggest that the main source of trace elements in PM2.5 from these school microenvironments is a mixture of dust contaminated with mine tailings and marine aerosols. Policymakers should prioritize environmental management changes to minimize further environmental damage and its direct impact on the health of children exposed. 相似文献
In this study, the photodegradation of three pharmaceuticals, namely Ibuprofen (IBP), Naproxen (NPX), and Cetirizine (CIZ) in aqueous media was investigated under UV irradiation. The photocatalyst used in this work consists of surface functionalized titanium dioxide (TiO2–NH2) nanoparticles grafted into Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/multi-walled carbon nanotube composite nanofibers. Surface modification of the fabricated composite nanofibers was illustrated using XRD, FTIR, and SEM analyses.
Results
Sets of experiments were performed to study the effect of pharmaceuticals initial concentration (5–50 mg/L), solution pH (2–9), and irradiation time on the degradation efficiency. The results demonstrated that more than 99% degradation efficiency was obtained for IBP, CIZ, and NPX within 120, 40, and 25 min, respectively.
Conclusions
Comparatively, the photocatalytic degradation of pharmaceuticals using PAN-CNT/TiO2–NH2 composite nanofibers was much more efficient than with PAN/TiO2–NH2 composite nanofibers.
Arsanilic acid (ASA), copper ion (Cu2+) and phosphate (PO43–) are widely used as feed additives for pigs. Most of these three supplemented feed additives were excreted in feces and urine. Anaerobic digestion is often used for the management of pig manure. However, the interaction of ASAwith Cu2+ or PO43– on anaerobic digestion is still not clear. In this study, the influence of ASA, Cu2+, PO43– and their interaction on anaerobic digestion of pig manure and the possible mechanisms were investigated. The initial concentrations of ASA, Cu2+ and PO43– were 0.46 mM, 2 mM and 2 mM in the anaerobic digester, respectively. The methanogenesis was severely inhibited in the assays with only ASA addition, only Cu2+ addition and ASA + PO43– addition with the inhibition index of 97.8%, 46.6% and 82.6%, respectively, but the methanogenesis inhibition in the assay with ASA + Cu2+ addition was mitigated with the inhibition index of 39.4%. PO43– had no obvious impacts on the degradation of ASA. However, Cu2+ addition inhibited the degradation of ASA, and mitigated the methanogenesis inhibition. The existence of ASA would inhibit methanogenesis and generate more toxic inorganic arsenic compounds during anaerobic digestion, implying the limitation of anaerobic digestion for ASA- contaminated animal manure. However, the co-existence of ASA and Cu2+ could mitigate the inhibition. These results could provide useful information for the management of anaerobic digestion of pig manure containing ASA and Cu2+.
The explosive growth in anthropogenic energy consumption, coupled with the consequent environmental pollution, have been acknowledged as two impending challenges confronting humanity. Photocatalytic CO2 reduction to produce value-added hydrocarbon fuels, by using abundant solar energy and redundant atmospheric CO2, is an innovative way to satisfy global energy requirements whilst simultaneously reducing atmospheric CO2 levels. Although this notion is several decades old, it has unfortunately been lingering in a state of infancy due to inherently poor CO2-to-fuel conversion efficiencies, and the generation of low-value products (e.g., CO, HCHO). These pitfalls hamper this process from any potential commercial breakthrough and are primarily fuelled by the lack of progress in developing high-performance photocatalytic materials. Fortunately, the advent of nanotechnology has recently introduced many promising novel materials for this purpose. Here, we review photocatalysts with proven potential for converting CO2 into methanol, a high-value, energy-dense hydrocarbon fuel that is easily transported using existing pipeline infrastructure. Methanol possesses multifarious applications in the automobile, industrial and petrochemical sector. In addition, the development of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) has introduced the tantalizing prospect of using methanol as a medium for storing solar energy that is easily converted to electricity via DMFCs. As such, methanol is an ideal fuel, with numerous advantages over its counterparts. This article reviews several photocatalysts that have been reported for this environmentally sustainable process of converting CO2 into methanol by photocatalysis. Specifically, the performance enhancement effected by adding dopant atoms, forming heterostructured composites and nanostructures, is investigated in terms of four key areas: (1) enhanced visible light sensitivity, (2) improved adsorption of reactants on the catalytic surface, (3) lowered electron–hole recombination and (4) increased CO2 reduction kinetics. The trends deduced therein are invaluable for researchers developing novel photocatalytic materials, which will utilize sunlight to convert CO2 into methanol with enhanced efficiency, thus ushering in the era of a green methanol-based economy. 相似文献
Background, aim, and scopeThe focus of popular interest on the subject of acid rain has been on the effects, which it has on aquatic ecosystems. Aluminium toxicity and the bioavailability depend on the species of aluminium present. The cationic aluminium species are important for the phytotoxocity and for the precipitation of aluminium containing precipitate.Materials and methodsSpeciation diagrams of aqueous aluminium chloride solutions with tridecameric cations (Al13) at room temperature as function of concentration (1·10–1–1·10–5 mol·l–1 Al) and aging time (9 month) have been obtained from a kinetic method; these Ferron method offers a simple and inexpensive alternative for identification and quantification of aluminium cations.ResultsThe Al13-cation stability decrease with decreasing concentration and increasing aging time.DiscussionPolynuclear aluminium species can be formed in nature by the dissolution of Al-containing minerals, as a consequence of surface water acidification, followed by neutralization process. The question of the occurrence of the tridecameric polycation (Al13) in natural soil solutions and stream waters is of considerable interest.ConclusionsThe results are important on the occurrence of the Al13 in natural waters, for the precipitation of aluminium species by acidification and for the aluminium phytotoxicity.Recommendations and perspectivesThis research suggests strongly that Al13 should be negligible in natural soil and surface waters. The toxicity of Al13 to plants and aquatic organism in natural conditions may be considered to be very low. 相似文献
Sulfoxides are versatile synthetic intermediates for the preparation of biological products. Therefore, there is a need for efficient methods to oxidize sulfides into sulfoxides. Such oxidation may be catalyzed by magnetic nanocatalysts due to their good stability, easy synthesis, high surface area, low toxicity and easy separation by magnetic forces. Here we prepared a nanocatalyst by immobilization of the chitosan–Schiff base complex on supramagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The chitosan–Schiff base complex has been previously prepared by functionalization of chitosan with 5-bromosalicylaldehyde and metalation with copper(II) acetate. The catalyst was characterized by Fourier transform infrared, powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Results show that the Fe3O4 nanoparticles and nanocatalyst were spherical in shape with an average size of 20 nm. Upon the covalently anchoring of chitosan–Schiff base Cu complex on the magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles, the average size increased to 60 nm. The prepared Fe3O4–chitosan–Schiff base Cu complex catalyzed very efficiently the oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides with 100 % selectivity in all cases under green reaction conditions and excellent yields. Additionally, ease of recovery and reusability up to four cycles without noticeable loss of catalytic activity make the present protocol beneficial from industrial and environmental viewpoint. 相似文献
PurposeLittle is known about the ecotoxicity of nanomaterials and there are no specific guidelines for sample preparation and testing. We set out to establish whether the method used to prepare TiO2 dispersions had a significant impact on aquatic ecotoxicity. We also followed the formation of agglomerates during the incubation period.MethodsWe applied the algal growth inhibition test (OECD test guideline no. 201). Dispersions were prepared by stirring and/or ultrasonication for different durations, and by filtration according to an OECD procedure recommended for testing difficult substances.ResultsSamples stirred for 7?d were not toxic, but EC20 values could be calculated for all the other treatments. Shorter treatments generated EC20 values in the range 1–27?mg/L. Only the shortest treatment (1 min stirring, 1 min ultrasonication) produced an unusually high EC20 value, indicating low toxicity. Development of agglomerate size and of toxicity depends on the nanoparticles. We found that ecotoxicity was predominantly caused by a fraction of nanoparticles and agglomerates obtained by passing dispersions through a 0.22-µm filter.ConclusionsWe propose a short treatment regime to generate the most relevant ecotoxicity data for TiO2, for example stirring for 1?min followed by 3 min ultrasonication. Until more data concerning the ecotoxicity of different fractions are available, we recommend the testing of unfiltered dispersions rather than filtrates. Relating ecotoxicity to the total hydrodynamic surface of the nanomaterials rather than concentration does not seem to improve the accuracy of ecotoxicity assessments using the algal growth inhibition test. 相似文献
The gene for the catalytic domain of thermostable endo-β-1,3-glucanase (laminarinase) LamA was cloned from Thermotoga maritima MSB8 and heterologously expressed in a bioengineered Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002. The mutant strain was cultured in a photobioreactor to assess biomass yield, recombinant laminarinase activity, and CO2 uptake. The maximum enzyme activity was observed at a pH of 8.0 and a temperature of 70°C. At a CO2 concentration of 5%, we obtained a maximum specific growth rate of 0.083 h–1, a biomass productivity of 0.42 g?L–1?d–1, a biomass concentration of 3.697 g?L–1, and a specific enzyme activity of the mutant strain of 4.325 U?mg–1 dry mass. All parameters decreased as CO2 concentration increased from 5% to 10% and further to 15% CO2, except enzyme activity, which increased from 5% to 10% CO2. However, the mutant culture still grew at 15% CO2 concentration, as reflected by the biomass productivity (0.26 g?L–1?d–1), biomass concentration (2.416 g?L–1), and specific enzyme activity (3.247 U?mg–1 dry mass).
Air pollution by volatile organic compounds is a major health issue due to increasing industrialization and urbanization, notably in the developing countries. Cleaning organic pollutants by catalytic combustion is a potential solution, but actual methods require relatively high temperatures, thus increasing remediation costs. There is therefore a need for methods that operate at mild temperatures. Here we prepared a novel catalyst made of Pd nanoparticles entrapped in TiO2 nanotubes by vacuum-assisted impregnation. Then, we tested this catalyst for butane combustion. The catalyst was characterized by N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms, transmission electronic microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis coupled with a scanning transmission electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and temperature programmed oxidation. Results show a complete combustion of butane at 130 °C, which is about 20 °C lower than temperatures required by actual catalysts made of Pd nanoparticles deposited on the exterior surface of TiO2 nanotubes. Structure characterization suggests that this higher performance at lower temperature is explained by the confinement of TiO2 nanotubes. Such a confinement could hinder the metal sintering and, in turn, facilitate the formation of PdO during oxidation on the entrapped Pd nanoparticles. 相似文献
Variability in interference competition was studied in benthic marine communities of the arctic and subarctic Atlantic intertidal and shallow subtidal zones. We sampled multiple square-metre quadrats at distances of 101, 103, and 105 m apart around the high polar island of Spitsbergen (Svalbard Archipelago). We also took some similar samples in Iceland and in the Faeroe Islands (106 m apart from Spitsbergen samples). Encrusting fauna were present on high arctic intertidal rocks but we only found competitive interactions on subtidal substrata. On subarctic Icelandic and Faeroese shores, in contrast, spatial competition was common even in the intertidal zone. Analysis of variance of competition intensity data (numbers of interactions per area) revealed multiple factors to be significant influences explaining variability. Amongst the 101-, 103-, and 105-m spatial scales, only the largest emerged as a significant term. Whether intra- or interspecific competition dominated the types of interactions varied greatly between sites: 21–97% of competition was intraspecific. The proportion of competitive encounters resulting in a decided outcome (i.e. a win for one competitor and a loss for the other, rather than a tie or standoff between them) showed little variability at any scale. All the values of competition transitivity (how hierarchical a pecking order is) were very high compared to values reported in the literature from any other (polar or non-polar) locality. Variability in this measure was generally <10% across scales. We conclude from our data that great care must be taken in interpreting patterns of competition between similar taxa in large-scale space or time. Not only did most aspects of competition in our study communities vary significantly at the 105-m scale but different aspects of competition varied at different scales and by hugely different amounts.Communicated by J.P. Thorpe, Port Erin 相似文献
In summer 1998, shallow water corals at Sesoko Island, Japan (26°38′N, 127°52′E) were damaged by bleaching. In August 2003,
partially damaged colonies of the massive Porites lutea and the branching P. cylindrica were collected at depths of 1.0–2.5 m. The species composition of epilithic algal communities on dead skeletal surfaces of
the colonies (‘red turfs’, ‘green turfs’, ‘red crusts’) and the endolithic algae (living in coral skeletons) growing close
to and away from living coral polyps was determined. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values of organic matter (δ13C and δ15N) from all six of these biological entities were determined. There were no significant differences in the isotope composition
of coral tissues of the two corals, with P. lutea having δ13C of −15.3 to −9.6‰ and δ15N of 4.7–6.1‰ and P. cylindrica having similar values. Polyps in both species living close to an interface with epilithic algae had similar isotope values
to polyps distant from such an interface. Despite differences in the relative abundance of the algal species in red turfs
and crusts, their δ13C and δ15N values were not significantly different from each other (−18.2 to −13.9, −20.6 to −16.2, 1.1–4.3, and 3.3 to 4.9‰, respectively).
The green algal turf had significantly higher δ13C values (−14.9 to −9.3‰) than that of red turfs and crusts but similar δ15N (1.2–4.1‰) to the red algae. The data do not suggest that adjoining associations of epilithic algae and coral polyps exchange
carbon- and nitrogen-containing metabolites to a significant extent. The endolithic algae in the coral skeletons had δ13C values of −14.8 to −12.3‰ and δ15N of 4.0–5.4‰. Thus they did not differ significantly from the coral polyps in their carbon and nitrogen isotope values. The
similarity in carbon isotope values between the coral polyps and endolithic algae may be attributed to a common source of
CO2 for zooxanthellae and endolithic algae, namely, from respiration by the coral host. While it is difficult to fully interpret
similarity in the nitrogen isotope composition of coral tissue and of green endolithic algae and the difference in δ15N between green epilithic and endolithic algae, the data are consistent with nitrogen-containing metabolites from the scleractinian
coral serving as a significant source of nitrogen for the endolithic algae. 相似文献
To test the hypothesis that stable isotope ratios from marine organisms vary, the δ15N and δ13C values from fish and squid collected in Alaskan waters were measured across years (1997, 2000, and 2005), seasons, geographic
locations, and different size/age classes, and between muscle tissue and whole animals. Temporal, geographic, and ontogenetic
differences in stable isotope ratios ranged from 0.5–2.5‰ (δ15N) to 0.5–2.0‰ (δ13C). Twenty-one comparisons of stable isotope values between whole organisms and muscle tissue revealed only four small differences
each for δ15N and δ13C, making costly and space prohibitive collection of whole animals unnecessary. The data from this study indicate that significant
variations of stable isotope values from animals in marine systems necessitates collection of prey and predator tissues from
the same time and place for best interpretation of stable isotope analysis in foraging ecology studies. 相似文献
Stable isotopes are increasingly used in the study of trophic interactions of many aquatic animals and most recently cephalopods.
To evaluate the application of the method to squids, it is important to assess isotopic differences among and within consumer
tissues that may confound the resolution of ecological relationships. Inter- and intra-tissue isotopic variation was examined
in 55 individuals of the oceanic squid Todarodes filippovae that were collected at the beginning of April 2000 in the southwestern Indian Ocean (between 44°S, 76°E, and Saint Paul and
Amsterdam islands, 38°S, 78°E). Delipidated soft tissues (mantle, arm, buccal mass, gill and reproductive organs) showed small
δ13C and δ15N differences, which were probably tissue-specific. A lower carbon value was observed in the digestive gland as a consequence
of incomplete lipid removal. Hard tissues, such as beaks and gladii, had lower 15N values than soft tissues, which can be explained by the presence of chitin, a 15N-depleted molecule. Females (n = 38) and males (n = 17) had identical δ13C values, but females showed higher δ15N values than males. The difference was size-related rather than sex-related, however, as females were generally larger than
males. A comparison of similar-sized females and males produced identical nitrogen values. These data suggest dietary shifts
from lower to higher trophic levels during growth, because δ15N values of large T. filippovae were much higher than that of small specimens. As expected, nitrogen values of lower beaks and gladii of large squids increased
from the oldest to the most recently formed region, reflecting the progressive growth of chitinized tissues in parallel with
dietary changes. Sequential sampling along the growth increments of squid beaks and gladii can likely be used to produce a
chronological record of dietary information throughout an individual’s history. 相似文献