短期干旱胁迫对马尾松排放挥发性有机物的影响

为探究干旱环境对BVOCs排放的影响,应用动态封闭式采样系统和热脱附-气相色谱-飞行质谱仪,对短期干旱胁迫作用下马尾松的BVOCs排放进行了实验室测量,定量分析BVOCs排放速率和排放组成的变化.结果表明,干旱胁迫时异戊二烯的排放受到抑制,排放速率降低约50%;单萜烯和倍半萜烯的排放水平增强,排放速率分别为137.85和0.98μg/（m²·h）,是未受胁迫时的2.9和2.0倍.除反式-α-香柠檬烯外,干旱胁迫促进各单萜烯和倍半萜烯化合物的排放,是未受胁迫时的1.3~42.4倍,其中3-蒈烯排放的响应最敏感,α-葑烯、α-水芹烯和石竹烯的响应最弱.干旱胁迫时单萜烯和倍半萜烯的排放组成有所变化,但主导的化合物种类不变,单萜烯以α-蒎烯、香桧烯和β-蒎烯为主,占比分别为48%、17%和17%;倍半萜烯以石竹烯和长叶烯为主,占比分别为57%和34%.     

Efficiency of white lupin in the removal of mercury from contaminated soils： Soil and hydroponic experiments

This study examined the ability of the white lupin to remove mercury (Hg) from a hydroponic system (Hg concentrations 0, 1.25, 2.5, 5 and 10 μmol/L) and from soil in pots and lysimeters (total Hg concentration (19.2 ± 1.9) mg/kg availability 0.07%, and (28.9 ± 0.4) mg/kg availability 0.09%, respectively), and investigated the accumulation and distribution of Hg in different parts of the plant. White lupin roots efficiently took up Hg, but its translocation to the harvestable parts of the plant was low. The Hg concentration in the seeds posed no risk to human health according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization, but the shoots should not be used as fodder for livestock, at least when unmixed with other fodder crops. The accumulation of Hg in the hydroponically-grown plants was linear over the concentration range tested. The amount of Hg retained in the roots, relative to the shoots, was almost constant irrespective of Hg dose (90%). In the soil experiments, Hg accumulation increased with exposure time and was the greater in the lysimeter than in the pot experiments. Although Hg removal was the greater in the hydroponic system, revealing the potential of the white lupin to extract Hg, bioaccumulation was the greatest in the lysimeter-grown plants; the latter system more likely reflects the true behaviour of white lupin in the field when Hg availability is a factor that limits Hg removal. The present results suggest that the white lupin could be used in long-term soil reclamation strategies that include the goal of profitable land use in Hg-polluted areas.     

Successful full‐scale enhanced anaerobic dechlorination at a NAPL strength 1,1,1‐TCA source area

Bioremediation of 1,1,1‐trichloroethane (TCA) is more challenging than bioremediation of other chlorinated solvents, such as tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE). TCA transformation often occurs under methanogenic and sulfate‐reducing conditions and is mediated by Dehalobacter. The source area at the project site contains moderately permeable medium sand with a low hydraulic gradient and is approximately 0.5 acre. TCA contamination generally extended to 35 feet, with the highest concentrations at approximately 20 feet. The concentrations then decreased with depth; several wells contained 300 to 600 mg/L of TCA prior to bioremediation. The area of treatment also contained 2 to 30 mg/L of TCE from an upgradient source. Initial site groundwater conditions indicated minimal biotic dechlorination and the presence of up to 20 mg/L of nitrate and 90 mg/L of sulfate. Microcosm testing indicated that TCA dechlorination was inhibited by the site's relatively low pH (5 to 5.5) and high TCA concentration. After the pH was adjusted and TCA concentrations were reduced to less than 35 mg/L (by dilution with site water), dechlorination proceeded rapidly using whey (or slower with sodium lactate) as an electron donor. Throughout the remediation program, increased resistance to TCA inhibition (from 35 to 200 mg/L) was observed as the microbes adapted to the elevated TCA concentrations. The article presents the results of a full‐scale enhanced anaerobic dechlorination recirculation system and the successful efforts to eliminate TCA‐ and pH‐related inhibition. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Unique phenotypes in the sperm of the earthworm Eudrilus eugeniae for assessing radiation hazards

The earthworm, Eudrilus eugeniae is a segmented worm. It has two pairs of testes whose cells are highly proliferative. It was found that the earthworm, which is irradiated with X-ray, shows the following phenotypic changes in its sperm: fragmented acrosome in the head, break in the tail, and the appearance of zigzag sperm tail. Sperm morphology can be used as a tool to study radiation hazards in local areas. These three phenotypes were not observed in the sperm of worms exposed to different concentration of toxic chemicals such as sodium arsenate, lead acetate, and mercuric chloride. In contrast, exposure of worms to ethidium bromide caused fragmented acrosome in the head of their sperm cells.     

Contribution of fishery discards to the diet of the Black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophris) during the non-breeding season: an assessment through stable isotope analysis

Black-browed albatrosses (Thalassarche melanophris) disperse over the Argentinean Continental Shelf and neighboring waters during their non-breeding season. It is one of the most frequent seabirds attending fishing vessels and also the most common Procellariform in the bycatch of longliners and trawlers in the area. Understanding the use of fishery discards by this species is an important issue when assessing the potential effect of strategic discard management in decreasing the abundance, interactions, and mitigating mortality. In the present study, we analyzed carbon and nitrogen stable isotope compositions in the blood of Black-browed albatrosses to assess the relative contribution of discards from different fisheries to the diet of this species in winter. Samples were obtained in winter 2011 from fishing vessels operating between 41–43°S and 57–59°W. No sex differences in δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N were observed. Results indicate that during their non-breeding season, isotopic signatures of Black-browed albatrosses are closer to discards and offal generated by fisheries and in particular by trawlers. The large fishing effort of trawl fisheries in Argentina highlights the urgency of an exhaustive analysis to find practical and effective ways to reduce the number of seabirds attending trawlers.     

Precipitation assessment in wastewater treatment plants operated for biological nutrient removal: a case study in Murcia, Spain

The Murcia Este Wastewater Treatment Plant is the largest wastewater treatment plant in Murcia (Spain). The plant operators have continuously found pipe blockage and accumulation of solids on equipment surfaces during the anaerobic digestion and post-digestion processes. This work studies the precipitation problems in the Murcia Este Wastewater Treatment Plant in order to locate the sources of precipitation and its causes from an exhaustive mass balance analysis. The DAF thickener and anaerobic digester mass balances suggest that most of the polyphosphate is released during excess sludge thickening. Despite the high concentrations achieved in the thickened sludge, precipitation does not occur at this point due to the low pH. The increases in ammonium and pH during anaerobic digestion cause precipitation to take place mainly inside the digesters and in downstream processes. This study shows that 50.7% of the available phosphate is fixed in the digester of which 52.0% precipitates as ammonium struvite, 39.2% precipitates as hydroxyapatite and the remaining 8.8% is adsorbed on the surface of the solids. Thermodynamic calculations confirm the precipitation of struvite and hydroxyapatite and also confirm that potassium struvite does not precipitate in the anaerobic digesters.     

典型树种挥发性有机物(VOCs)排放成分谱及排放特征

为研究典型树种的挥发性有机物（VOCs）排放特征,并获得基础排放速率,应用动态封闭式采样系统对毛果杨、北美枫香和马尾松的排放进行了实验室测量.利用热脱附-气相色谱-飞行质谱仪对排放样品进行定性和定量分析,包括异戊二烯、单萜烯、倍半萜烯、烷烃和烯烃,计算获得各树种VOCs排放速率及其排放谱特征.研究表明：毛果杨、北美枫香和马尾松的总VOCs排放速率分别为19.51、17.19和0.67μg/（g·h）.毛果杨的异戊二烯排放最高（18.51μg/（g·h））,占其总排放的94.86%;马尾松排放的异戊二烯仅占4.03%,单萜烯贡献最高,为49.09%;北美枫香的单萜烯排放速率最高,为0.84μg/（g·h）;3个树种排放的倍半萜烯占各自VOCs总排放的比重均较小（<1.5%）;各树种的烷烃排放强度高于倍半萜烯,部分化合物甚至高于异戊二烯和单萜烯的排放强度.反式-β-罗勒烯是毛果杨排放最多的单萜烯化合物,占其单萜烯总排放的99.84%;北美枫香排放的单萜烯主要以香桧烯和β-蒎烯为主;马尾松以α-蒎烯、香桧烯和β-蒎烯为主.石竹烯、葎草烯、δ-杜松烯和β-愈创木烯是主要的倍半萜烯物种.烷烃排放主要为C4和C5的化合物,特别是异丁烷和正丁烷;各树种排放的烯烃中,1-丁烯排放占比最高.     

Alkylphenols and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in eastern Mediterranean Spanish coastal marine bivalves

This paper reports the first results on alkylphenol pollution in edible bivalves from the Spanish coast. Two sampling campaigns (July 2006 and July 2007) were carried out to determine the concentration of nonylphenol (NP), octylphenol (OP), and eight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in wild mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialys) and clams (Donax trunculus) at 14 sampling sites along the eastern Mediterranean Spanish coast. The results show that NP is the predominant alkylphenol, being the port of Valencia the most polluted area (up to 147 ??g/kg wet weight in clams). Moving away from the ports the concentration of NP in bivalves decreased. OP concentration was below its detection limit in most of the studied areas and its maximum concentration (6 ??g/kg w/w) was measured in clams from the port of Sagunto. The presence of low levels of PAHs was observed in most of the studied areas. The total PAHs concentration (i.e., sum of the eight measured PAHs) achieved a maximum value of 10.09 ??g/kg w/w in the north coast of Valencia city. The distribution pattern of the individual PAHs showed that both pollution sources petrogenic and pyrolytic were present in the sampled areas. Fluoranthene was the most abundant PAH in mussels while benzo(b)fluoranthene in clams. The maximum concentration of 10 ??g/kg w/w for benzo(a)pyrene established by the European Commission was never reached, indeed sampled bivalves showed concentrations 10 times lower than this reference value. Thus, they can be considered safe for human consumption. Despite the low contamination levels, the results show an overall pollution of bivalves by alkylphenol and PAHs as well as an increment in the number of polluted areas from 2006 to 2007. Thus, periodical sampling campaigns should be carried out to monitor the long-term tendency of these toxic and persistent pollutants.     

Spatial and temporal variations of urban litter in Mar del Plata, the major coastal city of Argentina

Urban littering is considered an important environmental and public issue globally. This problem is growing considerably within coastal communities of the southern region of South America. The goals of this study were to assess (1) the abundance and composition of urban litter; (2) the spatial and temporal variations of its abundance; and (3) the relationship between the abundance of litter and three anthropogenic variables (i.e. abundance of pedestrians, of parked vehicles, and of trash bins) in Mar del Plata, the most populated coastal city in Argentina. Eighty-eight transects, each covering 1425 m², were sampled along four sites from April 2008 to March 2009. Results showed 20,336 items (ca. 14 items per m²) of which cigarette butts (33%), papers (31%), and plastics (22%) were the most commonly littered items. Higher amounts of litter were found in an industrial area (city’s harbor), while the abundance of litter appeared relatively even throughout the year. Redundancy analysis techniques indicated a high abundance of all three anthropogenic variables associated with the central business district area of the city and an area in close proximity to a major seaside resort, where cigarette butts and papers dominated. This is the first study that has examined spatial and temporal variations of urban litter in a high-density coastal city in Argentina. Our results showed that addressing the problems associated with urban litter must include intensive educational and advertising campaigns directed at pedestrians and owners of parked vehicles, but waste reduction, clean-up operations and law enforcement should be also considered.     

Heavy metal enrichment in the seagrasses of Lakshadweep group of islands—A multivariate statistical analysis

An assessment on heavy metal (Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) accumulation by seven seagrass species of Lakshadweep group of islands was carried out using multivariate statistical tools like principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA). Among all the metals, Mg and Al were determined in higher concentration in all the seagrasses, and their values varied with respect to different seagrass species. The concentration of the four toxic heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Zn and Cu) was found higher in all the seagrasses when compared with the background values of seagrasses from Flores Sea, Indonesia. The contamination factor of these four heavy metals ranged as Cd (1.97–12.5), Cu (0.73–4.40), Pb (2.3–8.89) and Zn (1.27–2.787). In general, the Pollution Load Index (PLI) calculated was found to be maximum for Halophila decipiens (58.2). Results revealed that Halophila decipiens is a strong accumulator of heavy metals, followed by Halodule uninervis and Halodule pinifolia, among all the tested seagrasses. Interestingly, the small-leaved seagrasses were found to be efficient in heavy metal accumulation than the large-leaved seagrass species. Thus, seagrasses can better be used for biomonitoring, and seagrasses can be used as the heavy metal sink as the biomass take usually long term to get remineralize in nature.