藻类对甲基汞的富集与传递研究进展

甲基汞是一种高毒性的污染物,其易累积在水生生物体内,从而对水生生态系统和人体健康产生危害.作为水生生态系统的初级生产者,藻类控制着进入食物链的甲基汞浓度和总量.藻类对甲基汞的显著富集作用及水生食物链传递过程导致其在高营养级生物中显著累积.因此,厘清藻类在甲基汞的富集与食物链传递过程中的作用对于揭示甲基汞的生物累积和预测甲基汞的环境风险具有重要意义.本文概述了藻类对甲基汞的富集与食物链传递特征与机制,总结了影响富集与食物链传递的生物与环境因素,讨论了全球变暖和富营养化等环境变化对藻类富集与传递甲基汞的影响,并展望了藻类富集甲基汞研究的发展方向.     

万山矿区土壤汞对蚯蚓的生物有效性研究

以威廉环毛蚓(Pheretima guillemi)为试验生物,研究贵州万山矿区水稻土中汞〔w(总汞)为0.14~76 mg·kg-1,w(甲基汞)为0.65~3.8μg·kg-1〕的生物有效性。暴露试验结果表明,矿区土壤中甲基汞的生物富集因子(BAF)为5.37~17.55,高于无机汞的生物富集因子(0.14~1.14),说明甲基汞生物有效性比无机汞更高,具有潜在的生物放大效应。对蚯蚓体内汞形态的分析表明,蚯蚓体内甲基汞占总汞比例为0.26%~4.23%,高于土壤中甲基汞占总汞比例(0.1%)。随着土壤中汞浓度的增加,蚯蚓体内w(无机汞)(0.20~10.20 mg·kg-1)和w(甲基汞)(7.2~47.8μg·kg-1)增加。土壤无机汞浓度与蚯蚓体内无机汞浓度之间呈极显著线性相关(P0.01),但土壤甲基汞浓度与蚯蚓体内甲基汞浓度之间则不存在显著相关关系(P0.05)。综合文献调研结果,发现土壤无机汞浓度能较好地预测蚯蚓体内无机汞的富集。尽管万山矿区汞被认为是"惰性汞",但研究表明这些汞对蚯蚓仍具有较高的有效性,并可能在陆生生态系统中对蚯蚓捕食者产生潜在的生态风险。     

热脱附-GCMS法测定空气中的苯系物

采用Tenax TA采样管对大气或工作场所中的苯系物样品进行富集后,利用热脱附和GC-MS仪联用建立了苯系物含量的测定方法.在5—200 ng的范围内建立苯系物的标准曲线,相关系数在0.9998以上,平行6次测定苯系物保留时间RSD在0.378%以下,峰面积RSD在4.44%以下.当采样量为3 L时,方法最低检出限为0.015—0.033μg.m-3,定量限为0.049—0.110μg.m-3,可以用于空气中苯系物含量的快速测定.     

汞在城市污水处理厂的赋存特征及质量平衡——甲基汞

以焦作市第一污水处理厂各工艺单元的进出物料为研究对象,通过样品中甲基汞和溶解态甲基汞含量的测定,初步探讨了甲基汞在污水处理厂物料中的赋存特征和迁移过程.结果发现,污水处理厂进水中甲基汞和溶解态甲基汞的含量分别在6.73—49.53 ng·L-1和0.55—8.14 ng·L-1之间,日均值分别为21.34±13.88 ng·L-1和2.55±2.36 ng·L-1.污水厂外排水中甲基汞含量在0.42—1.15 ng·L-1之间,满足《城镇污水处理厂污染物排放标准》(GBl8918—2002)中规定的烷基汞含量限值(10 ng·L-1)要求.污水厂对原污水中甲基汞和溶解态甲基汞的去除率分别达到了96.3%和85.1%,甲基汞的去除主要发生在二级处理工艺单元(氧化沟+二沉池).与污水厂进水相比,出水中溶解态甲基汞所占甲基汞的比率显著升高(15.4%±11.4%升至48.3%±17.9%)(P<0.001),甲基汞占总汞的比率也有显著升高(1.9%±1.2%升至3.9%±1.2%)(P<0.001).沉砂池、二沉池、浓缩池和压滤机房污泥中甲基汞含量分别为7.65±4.35、13.53±6.54、10.48±8.17、8.80±6.48 ng·g-1,占总汞的比率分别为0.9%±0.5%、0.3%±0.1%、0.2%±0.2%、0.2%±0.1%.各处理单元污泥中甲基汞含量均不稳定,日变异系数均达到了45%以上.污水处理厂进出物料中甲基汞的质量平衡计算表明,每天离开污水处理厂的甲基汞比进入污水处理厂的甲基汞减少了1889 mg,占进水中甲基汞质量的88.5%.甲基汞的损失主要发生在二级处理工艺单元,可能有两个方面的原因,一是甲基汞在氧化沟和二沉池中的吸附和沉积,二是甲基汞在污水处理过程中发生了去甲基化.     

在线衍生化吹扫捕集-气相色谱质谱联用法检测地表水中的甲基汞和乙基汞

本文采用四丙基硼化钠对环境水中的甲基汞和乙基汞进行衍生化,吹扫捕集-气相色谱质谱联用法分析水中的甲基汞和乙基汞.与传统的巯基棉富集方法相比,大大减少了前处理时间和步骤,并且避免使用甲苯萃取而产生的有机污染问题.该方法在10—200 ng·L-1的浓度范围内相关系数R在0.9995以上,方法回收率和重复性较好,甲基汞和乙基汞的检出限(S/N=3)分别达0.69 ng·L-1和1.96 ng·L-1.     

四丙基硼化钠衍生吹扫捕集冷原子荧光光谱法同时测定水中的甲基汞和乙基汞

2本文通过四丙基硼化钠衍生后,建立了一种可同时测定甲基汞和乙基汞的的分析方法,并对方法的各个参数进行了详细的优化.甲基汞和乙基汞分别在0.02—5.95 ng·L-1和0.01—5.95 ng·L-1间具有良好的线性关系,线性相关系数大于0.99,甲基汞和乙基汞的检出限分别为0.01 ng·L-1和6.43×10-3ng·L-1;方法能较好的满足相关标准对甲基汞和乙基汞的监测要求.所建立的方法被成功的运用于2种类型水样中甲基汞和乙基汞的分析.     

利用碱消解-HPLC-ICP-MS系统测定生物样品中的甲基汞与乙基汞

建立了以碱消解为萃取技术,高效液相色谱与电感耦合等离子体质谱联用系统(HPLC-ICP-MS)作为检测手段测定生物样品中甲基汞(MeHg)与乙基汞(EtHg)的分析方法.该方法选择25%(M/V)KOH/CH3OH作为萃取溶剂.在优化的检测条件下,该方法对样品中甲基汞和乙基汞的检出限分别为0.8 ng·ml-1和3ng·ml-1.对标准参考物质(DORM-2)的测定和加标回收实验的结果进一步验证了该方法的可靠性与准确性,并用该方法测定了另外4个生物样品中甲基汞与乙基汞的含量.     

北京市场常见水产品中总汞、甲基汞分布特征及食用风险

以甲苯二次萃取-直接测汞的方法对北京市场常见水产品中的甲基汞进行分析测定,并评价了食用人群的暴露风险。分析样品包括大黄鱼（Pseudosciaena crocea）、虾（Penaeus chinensis）等9种常见海产品以及武昌鱼（Megalobrama amblycephala Yih）、鳙鱼（Aristichthys nobilis）2种淡水海产品。测定结果表明：海产品中总汞和甲基汞质量分数要远高于淡水鱼中的总汞和甲基汞质量分数,总汞绝大多数是以甲基汞的形式存在,所占比例从74.7%到96.0%不等;对其中3种鱼类的鱼体甲基汞分布研究表明：肌肉中的甲基汞质量分数最高,肝脏中次之,鱼鳃中质量分数最低。根据我国水产品甲基汞标准,本研究中水产品甲基汞质量分数均低于国家标准,但根据世界卫生组织（WHO）和美国环保署EPA颁布的甲基汞摄入量参考值,食用银鳕鱼等甲基汞质量分数相对较高的水产品仍然存在一定的风险,应注意限量。     

甲苯二次萃取-直接测汞法快速测定海产品中的甲基汞

建立了甲苯二次萃取-直接测汞的方法对生物样品中的甲基汞进行分析测定.样品经氢溴酸水解、甲苯萃取、L-半胱氨酸反萃取等前处理,应用DMA-80直接测汞仪测定.对甲基汞鱼肉标准物质(GBW 10029)和贻贝标准物质(SRM 2976)的实测结果显示,测定值与标准参考值的相对误差小于4%,测定值的相对标准偏差小于2%,甲基...     

酸浸提-HPLC-ICP-MS系统测定土壤与底泥样品中的甲基汞、乙基汞

利用酸浸提为萃取方法,建立了高效液相色谱与电感耦合等离子体质谱联用系统(HPLC-ICP-MS)作为检测手段测定土壤与底泥样品中甲基汞(MeHg)与乙基汞(EtHg)的分析方法.萃取溶剂为酸性KBr-CuSO4溶液,在优化的检测条件下,该方法对样品中甲基汞和乙基汞的检出限分别为0.9 ng·ml-1和3.5 ng·ml-1.加标回收实验和对标准参考物质(IAEA-405)的测定结果验证了该方法的精密性与准确性.运用该方法测定了4个土壤与样品中甲基汞与乙基汞的含量.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

Parasitic wasps orient to green leaf volatiles

Summary Undamaged plants emit low levels of green leaf volatiles (GLVs), while caterpillar-damaged and artificially damaged plants emit relatively higher levels of certain GLVs. Female braconid parasitoids,Microplitis croceipes, oriented to both damaged plants and to individual GLVs in no-choice tests in a wind tunnel, but seldom oriented to undamaged plants. Female ichneumonid parasitoids,Netelia heroica, also oriented to individual GLVs in a wind tunnel. Males of both wasp species failed to orient to the GLVs. These data show that leaf-feeding caterpillars can cause the release of GLVs, and that parasitic wasps can respond to these odors by flying upwind (chemoanemotactic response), which brings the wasps to their caterpillar hosts. This supports the hypothesis that plants communicate with members of the third trophic level,i.e., plants under herbivore attack emit chemical signals that guide natural enemies of herbivores to sites of plant damage. In this interaction, the GLVs serve as tritrophic plant-to-parasitoid synomones. That parasitoids from two different wasp families oriented to GLVs suggests that the response may be widespread among the Hymenoptera.Mention of a commercial or proprietary product does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture     

Potential for Electropositive Metal to Reduce the Interactions of Atlantic Sturgeon with Fishing Gear

Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrhynchus) populations have been declared either endangered or threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Effective measures to repel sturgeon from fishing gear would be beneficial to both fish and fishers because they could reduce both fishery‐associated mortality and the need for seasonal and area closures of specific fisheries. Some chondrostean fishes (e.g., sturgeons and paddlefishes) can detect weak electric field gradients (possibly as low as 5 Μv/cm) due to arrays of electroreceptors (ampullae of Lorenzini) on their snout and gill covers. Weak electric fields, such as those produced by electropositive metals (typically mixtures of the lanthanide elements), could therefore potentially be used as a deterrent. To test this idea, we recorded the behavioral responses of juvenile Atlantic sturgeon (31–43 cm fork length) to electropositive metal (primarily a mixture of the lanthanide elements neodymium and praseodymium) both in the presence and absence of food stimuli. Trials were conducted in an approximately 2.5 m diameter × 0.3 m deep tank, and fish behaviors were recorded with an overhead digital video camera. Video records were subsequently digitized (x, y coordinate system), the distance between the fish and the electropositive metal calculated, and data summarized by compiling frequency distributions with 5‐cm bins. Juvenile sturgeon showed clear avoidance of electropositive metal but only when food was present. On the basis of our results, we conclude that the electropositive metals, or other sources of weak electric fields, may eventually be used to reduce the interactions of Atlantic sturgeon with fishing gear, but further investigation is needed. El Potencial del Metal Electropositivo para Reducir las Interacciones del Esturión Atlántico con Instrumentos de Pesca Bouyoucos, Bushnell & Brill 13–003     

The role of time and species identities in spatial patterns of species richness and conservation

Many conservation actions are justified on the basis of managing biodiversity. Biodiversity, in terms of species richness, is largely the product of rare species. This is problematic because the intensity of sampling needed to characterize communities and patterns of rarity or to justify the use of surrogates has biased sampling in favor of space over time. However, environmental fluctuations interacting with community dynamics lead to temporal variations in where and when species occur, potentially affecting conservation planning by generating uncertainty about results of species distribution modeling (including range determinations), selection of surrogates for biodiversity, and the proportion of biodiversity composed of rare species. To have confidence in the evidence base for conservation actions, one must consider whether temporal replication is necessary to produce broad inferences. Using approximately 20 years of macrofaunal data from tidal flats in 2 harbors, we explored variation in the identity of rare, common, restricted range, and widespread species over time and space. Over time, rare taxa were more likely to increase in abundance or occurrence than to remain rare or disappear and to exhibit temporal patterns in their occurrence. Space–time congruency in ranges (i.e., spatially widespread taxa were also temporally widespread) was observed only where samples were collected across an environmental gradient. Fifteen percent of the taxa in both harbors changed over time from having spatially restricted ranges to having widespread ranges. Our findings suggest that rare species can provide stability against environmental change, because the majority of species were not random transients, but that selection of biodiversity surrogates requires temporal validation. Rarity needs to be considered both spatially and temporally, as species that occur randomly over time are likely to play a different role in ecosystem functioning than those exhibiting temporal structure (e.g., seasonality). Moreover, temporal structure offers the opportunity to place management and conservation activities within windows of maximum opportunity.     

Main nutrient compounds in food bodies of Mexican <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acacia</Emphasis> ant-plants

Summary. Myrmecophytic plants use obligate ant mutualists as a constitutive indirect defence mechanism. These plants often produce cellular food bodies (FBs) to nourish their resident ants. Lipids, proteins, and even highly specialised compounds such as glycogen have been reported from FBs, but detailed chemical analyses of FB composition have so far been presented only for Southeast Asian Macaranga and Central American Piper myrmecophytes. Here we report the chemical composition of FBs of five myrmecophytic Acacia (Fabaceae) species from Mexico using HPLC (carbohydrates and proteins) and GC-MS (lipids). Feeding experiments revealed no hints on any use of external food sources by the inhabiting Pseudomyrmex ants. These ants obviously rely completely on FBs and extrafloral nectar provided by their hosts. The total content of nutrients in Acacia FBs was 15-25% of FB dry mass, being much lower than in Macaranga or Piper FBs. Proteins were dominating (8-14 % dm) in Acacia FBs and thus were present in higher amounts than in Macaranga FBs, yet in lower amounts than in Piper. Lipids contributed 1-9 % of dry mass, showing a lower proportion than in FBs of Macaranga or Piper. Carbohydrates made up 3-11 % dm, reaching in most Acacia species the same range as observed in Macaranga and in Piper FBs. Water content was 18-24 % of FB fresh mass, and structural tissue obviously made up a much higher proportion in Acacia FBs than in Macaranga or Piper FBs. Both characters might represent an adaptation to producing FBs unprotected at the leaf tips under dry conditions. Acacia FBs contain all amino acids and all fatty acids that are considered essential for insects, and their contents of lipids and proteins are higher than in the leaves from which they are ontogenetically derived. This indicates a putatively adaptive enrichment of nutritionally valuable compounds in structures functioning as ant-food.     

Examining the uncertain origin and management role of martens on Prince of Wales Island,Alaska

Conservation biologists are generally united in efforts to curtail the spread of non‐native species globally. However, the colonization history of a species is not always certain, and whether a species is considered non‐native or native depends on the conservation benchmark. Such ambiguities have led to inconsistent management. Within the Tongass National Forest of Alaska, the status of American marten (Martes americana) on the largest, most biologically diverse and deforested island, Prince of Wales (POW), is unclear. Ten martens were released to POW in the early 1930s, and it was generally believed to be the founding event, although this has been questioned. The uncertainty surrounding when and how martens colonized POW complicates management, especially because martens were selected as a design species for the Tongass. To explore the history of martens of POW we reviewed other plausible routes of colonization; genetically and isotopically analyzed putative marten fossils deposited in the late Pleistocene and early Holocene to verify marten occupancy of POW; and used contemporary genetic data from martens on POW and the mainland in coalescent simulations to identify the probable source of the present‐day marten population on POW. We found evidence for multiple routes of colonization by forest‐associated mammals beginning in the Holocene, which were likely used by American martens to naturally colonize POW. Although we cannot rule out human‐assisted movement of martens by Alaskan Natives or fur trappers, we suggest that martens be managed for persistence on POW. More generally, our findings illustrate the difficulty of labeling species as non‐native or native, even when genetic and paleo‐ecological data are available, and support the notion that community resilience or species invasiveness should be prioritized when making management decisions rather than more subjective and less certain conservation benchmarks.