Analysis of anaerobic BTX biodegradation in a subarctic aquifer using isotopes and benzylsuccinates

In situ biodegradation of benzene, toluene, and xylenes in a petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated aquifer near Fairbanks, Alaska was assessed using carbon and hydrogen compound specific isotope analysis (CSIA) of benzene and toluene and analysis of signature metabolites for toluene (benzylsuccinate) and xylenes (methylbenzylsuccinates). Carbon and hydrogen isotope ratios of benzene were between -25.9 per thousand and -26.8 per thousand for delta13C and -119 per thousand and -136 per thousand for delta2H, suggesting that biodegradation of benzene is unlikely at this site. However, biodegradation of both xylenes and toluene were documented in this subarctic aquifer. Biodegradation of xylenes was indicated by the presence of methylbenzylsuccinates with concentrations of 17-50 microg/L in three wells. Anaerobic toluene biodegradation was also indicated by benzylsuccinate concentrations of 10-49 microg/L in the three wells with the highest toluene concentrations (1500-5000 microg/L toluene). Since benzylsuccinate typically accounts for a very small fraction of the toluene present in groundwater (generally <1 mol%), the signature metabolite approach works best at higher toluene concentrations when it is not constrained by detection limits. In wells with lower toluene concentrations (410-640 microg/L), carbon and hydrogen isotopic values were enriched by up to approximately 2 per thousand for delta13C and approximately 70 per thousand for delta2H. This evidence of isotopic fractionation verifies the effects of biodegradation in these low concentration wells where metabolites may already be below detection limits. The combined use of signature metabolite and CSIA data is particularly valuable given the challenge of verifying biodegradation in subarctic environments where degradation rates are typically much slower than in temperate environments.     

The relationship between ecology and the incidence of cooperative breeding in Australian birds

Summary Australia has many cooperatively breeding species of birds. These tend to occur in eucalypt and semi-arid woodlands rather than in rainforests or deserts. They tend to be insectivores that pursue rather than sit and wait for their prey, and tend to forage on the ground rather than above it. We propose that environments where resources do not show marked seasonal fluctuations are those in which cooperative breeding is most likely to evolve. Under these conditions birds might experience difficulty acquiring the extra food necessary to breed, especially if inexperienced. When adult survival was high, young and inexperienced birds could delay breeding. Unpredictable environments may also favor cooperative breeding, but our data do not strongly support this. Groupliving would be favored further if young birds are particularly vulnerable to predators when alone. They should therefore remain in the family group and delay their dispersal unitl a suitable breeding vacancy becomes available. These hypotheses are not mutually exclusive, but are complementary. Both may be required to ensure that at least some year-old birds do not breed and also do not disperse. We believe that they give rise to predictions, which can be tested in future field studies.     

Aggregation pheromone ofCarpophilus freemani (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae): A blend of conjugated triene and tetraene hydrocarbons

Summary Males ofCarpophilus freemani Dobson (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) produce an aggregation pheromone to which both sexes fly in a wind-tunnel bioassay. The major pheromone component (ca. 30 ng per male per day in volatile collections) was identified as (2E,4E,6E)-5-ethyl-3-methyl-2,4,6-nonatriene. A minor component, (2E,4E,6E,8E)-7-ethyl-3,5-dimethyl-2,4,6,8-undecatetraene, was 3–10% as abundant as the major triene and was 5–20% as active when compared at relative doses ranging from natural proportions to 1:1. These compounds act synergistically: a mixture of major and minor components in natural proportions attracted more than twice as many beetles as the major component alone, and the mixture fully accounted for the activity of male-derived volatile collections. Six other male-derived conjugated hydrocarbons, ranging from 2% down to 0.04% as abundant as the major component, were also identified. These are (in order of decreasing bioassay activity when compared on an equal-weight basis): (3E,5E,7E)-6-ethyl-4-methyl-3,5,7-decatriene, (2E,4E,6E)-5-ethyl-3-me-thyl-2,4,6-octatriene, (3E,5E,7E,9E)-8-ethyl-4,6-dimethyl-3, 5,7,9-dodecatetraene, (2E,4E,6E,8E)-3,5,7-trimethyl-2,4,6, 8-undecatetraene, (3E,5E,7E)-5-ethyl-7-methyl-3,5,7-undecatriene, and (2E,4E,6E)-3,5-dimethyl-2,4,6-nonatriene. All structure identifications were confirmed by synthesis. In the wind tunnel, the pheromone acted synergistically with host-type volatiles such as propyl acetate, valeric acid, and ethanol. This concept was verified by fields tests in California, in which there was dramatic synergism between the pheromone and fermenting host materials. Pheromone biosynthesis is discussed.     

The spatiotemporal expression pattern of trypsinogen and bile salt-activated lipase during the larval development of red porgy (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pagrus pagrus</Emphasis>, Pisces,Sparidae)

A restoration programme was introduced in the Mondego Estuary (Portugal) to recover seagrass beds of Zostera noltii endangered by eutrophication. A long-term survey of 10 years was used to assess the development of the processes involved, focusing one of the key species (Cyathura carinata, Isopoda). The mitigation measures implemented since 1998 (nutrient loading reduction, freshwater circulation improvement and seagrass bed protection) enhanced water quality and seagrass recovery, thus preventing the development of macroalgal blooms. C. carinata was resilient to the occurrence of floods and macroalgal blooms, although both events caused dispersion of individuals. This isopod was not much influenced by the changes occurring in the estuary, showing an unalterable population structure during the entire study period. After 1998, its density and biomass became more stable at an inner unvegetated sand flat area, where this isopod was most abundant; its population slightly increased in a bare mud flat at the middle section of the estuary; but it could not establish successfully in a downstream Z. noltii bed, contrarily to other common estuarine species. Apart from other unknown reasons, the disrupted balanced between trematodes and their hosts, caused by the eutrophication processes, may have an important role in the discontinuity of C. carinata at the Z. noltii bed. If the intertidal areas become fully restored to the original seagrass coverage, high prevalence and intensity trematodes may prevent this isopod and other crustaceans from recovering within the intervened areas, by enhancing host mortality and recruitment failure. In order to avoid this kind of situation, it may be necessary to survey the levels of parasite infestation within the target hosts and safeguard areas where crustaceans present healthy populations.     

Organoclays for Aquifer Bioremediation: Adsorption of Chlorobenzene on Organoclays and its Degradation by RHODOCOCCUS B528

The adsorption and degradation of chlorobenzene on partially modified organoclays and by the autochthonous microorganism Rhodococcus B528 were studied by means of the batch technique. Organoclays were prepared from Na-montmorillonite (MM) by using dodecyltrimethylammonium (C₁₂) and dioctadecyldimethylammonium (2C₁₈) bromides. The degree of modification was 35 (2C₁₈-35-MM) and 89% (C₁₂-89-MM) of the cation exchange capacity of MM. The adsorption experiments were carried out using headspace GC. The intercalation of chlorobenzene into the interlayers of organo-MM was detected by X-ray diffraction. The adsorption isotherms found were of the S1 type indicating a cooperative effect. Chlorobenzene showed a higher affinity for 2C₁₈-35-MM than C₁₂-89-MM, which could not only be explained by the organic carbon content. The comparison with 2,4-dichlorophenol adsorption has implied that for the studied systems the different adsorption mechanisms are primarily governed by the different molecular properties and not by the type of absorbent. The presence of 2C₁₈-35-MM caused no negative effect on the investigated microorganisms and complete biodegradation of chlorobenzene was achieved without desorption limitation for growth, demonstrating the applicability of partially modified organoclays for bioremediation.     

Perceptions of visibility degradation in Hong Kong

The human dimensions of visibility degradation remain under-researched academically. Based on Zube and Sell's Process Model of the Perception of, and Response to, Environmental Change, a questionnaire survey was conducted in Hong Kong between 5 June 2012 and 26 January 2013 (n = 1,203). The respondents’ perceptions towards visibility degradation were collected. The results show that respondents were moderately knowledgeable to visibility degradation, perceiving the problem as anthropogenic and unfavorable and identifying the fight against the degradation as an important environmental issue. It is further deduced that the respondents’ physical and sociocultural attributes, and the way they gain information about visibility degradation, can affect their perceptions of visibility degradation. The results reveal that improving information channels can positively promote human sensitivity to and understanding of visibility degradation in order to mitigate it. Yet, any attempts to educate the lay public should not assume the existence of a homogenous community of like-minded people.     

Industrial Pollution Prevention! A Critical Review

Abstract

Pyrolytic product distribution rates and pyrolysis behavior of tire-derived fuels (TDF) were investigated using thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) techniques. A TGA was designed and built to investigate the behavior and products of pyrolysis of typical TDF specimens. The fundamental knowledge of TGA analysis and principal fuel analysis are applied in this study. Thermogravimetry of the degradation temperature of the TDF confirms the overall decomposition rate of the volatile products during the depolymerization reaction. The principal fuel analysis (proximate and ultimate analysis) of the pyrolytic char products show the correlation of volatilization into the gas and liquid phases and the existence of fixed carbon and other compounds that remain as a solid char. The kinetic parameters were calculated using least square with minimizing sum of error square technique. The results show that the average kinetic parameters of TDF are the activation energy, E = 1322 ± 244 kJ/mol, a pre-exponential constant of A = 2.06 ± 3.47 × 10¹⁰ min^?1, and a reaction order n = 1.62 ± 0.31. The model-predicted rate equations agree with the experimental data. The overall TDF weight conversion represents the carbon weight conversion in the sample.     

Plume Rise Determination-A New Technique Without Equations

Information on plume rise is important in determining the resulting concentrations of a pollutant on the ground. Practical use of plume rise values may be made in connection with stack design, the use of urban air pollution models, and in evaluating the hazards to a population complex.

This paper presents a new equationless technique for estimating plume rise as well as a comparison of seventeen commonly used plume rise formulas. Data from 10 sets of experiments, involving 615 observations and 26 different stacks, were used to study the relation between plume rise and related meteorological and stack parameters.

An independent data set was used to test the derived methods for determining plume rise. These data were obtained by Bringfelt of Sweden and contained measurements from stacks smaller than that at the Argonne National Laboratory to those approaching the TVA stacks.

A significant improvement in the prediction of plume rise from meteorological and stack parameters resulted from the use of a new technique called the Tabulation Prediction Technique. This is a method whereby an estimate of the value of a dependent variable may be obtained from information on the independent variables. Combinations of the independent variables—wind speed, heat emission rate, momentum rate, and stability—are arranged in an ordered sequence. For each combination of independent variables, the cumulative percentile frequency distribution of the dependent variable based on past measurements is given along with other statistics such as the mean, standard deviation, and interquartile range, i.e., the difference in plume rise between the 75th and 25th percentile values. Thus, one may look up the combination of independent variables just as one looks up words in a dictionary to obtain the percentile frequency distribution of the dependent variable. The mean, for each combination of independent variables may be considered as the best estimate for the given conditions.     

First Europe-wide correlation analysis identifying factors best explaining the total nitrogen concentration in mosses

In this study, the indicative value of mosses as biomonitors of atmospheric nitrogen (N) depositions and air concentrations on the one hand and site-specific and regional factors which explain best the total N concentration in mosses on the other hand were investigated for the first time at a European scale using correlation analyses. The analyses included data from mosses collected from 2781 sites across Europe within the framework of the European moss survey 2005/6, which was coordinated by the International Cooperative Programme on Effects of Air Pollution on Natural Vegetation and Crops (ICP Vegetation). Modelled atmospheric N deposition and air concentration data were calculated using the Unified EMEP Model of the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) of the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP). The modelled deposition and concentration data encompass various N compounds. In order to assess the correlations between moss tissue total N concentrations and the chosen predictors, Spearman rank correlation analysis and Classification and Regression Trees (CART) were applied. The Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that the total N concentration in mosses and modelled N depositions and air concentrations are significantly correlated (0.53 ≤ r_s ≤ 0.68, p < 0.001). Correlations with other predictors were lower than 0.55. The CART analysis indicated that the variation in the total N concentration in mosses was best explained by the variation in NH₄⁺ concentrations in air, followed by NO₂ concentrations in air, sampled moss species and total dry N deposition. The total N concentrations in mosses mirror land use-related atmospheric concentrations and depositions of N across Europe. In addition to already proven associations to measured N deposition on a local scale the study at hand gives a scientific prove on the association of N concentration in mosses and modelled deposition at the European scale.