Residues and dynamics of pymetrozine in rice field ecosystem

The fate of pymetrozine was studied in rice field ecosystem, and a simple and reliable analytical method for determination of pymetrozine in soil, rice straw, paddy water and brown rice was developed. Pymetrozine residues were extracted from samples, cleaned up by solid phase extraction (SPE) and then determined by high-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS-MS). The average recovery was 81.2-88.1% from soil, 83.4-88.6% from rice straw, 87.3-94.1% from paddy water and 82.9-85.3% from brown rice. The relative standard deviation (RSD) was less than 15%. The limits of detection (LODs) of pymetrozine calculated as a sample concentration were 0.0003 mg kg⁻¹ (mg L⁻¹) for soil and paddy water, 0.001 mg kg⁻¹ for brown rice and rice straw. The results of kinetics study of pymetrozine residue showed that pymetrozine degradation in water, soil, and rice straw coincided with C = 0.194e^−0.986t, C = 0.044e^−0.099t, and C = 0.988e^−0.780t, respectively; the half-lives were about 0.70 d, 7.0 d and 0.89 d, respectively. The degradation rate of pymetrozine in water was the fastest, followed by rice straw. The highest final pymetrozine residues in brown rice were 0.01 mg kg⁻¹, which was lower than the EU’s upper limit of 0.02 mg kg⁻¹ in rice. Therefore, a dosage of 300-600 g a.i.hm⁻² was recommended, which could be considered as safe to human beings and animals.     

The dissipation rates of trichlorfon and its degradation product dichlorvos in cabbage and soil

The residual levels and dissipation rate of trichlorfon, and its degradation product, dichlorvos, in cabbage crops and the soil in which these were grown, were determined by gas chromatography at two geographically distant experimental sites, one in Kunming and one in Beijing, China. Trichlorfon was applied at two dosages (900 g ai ha⁻¹ and 1350 g ai ha⁻¹). Maximum final residues of trichlorfon in soil and cabbage were 1.23 mg kg⁻¹ and 1.81 mg kg⁻¹ respectively at Kunming, and 0.35 mg kg⁻¹ and 0.70 mg kg⁻¹ respectively at Beijing. However, the final residues of dichlorvos in both cabbage and soil was only 0.04 mg kg⁻¹ at Kunming, and only 0.03 mg kg⁻¹, or “not detectable”, at Beijing. The mean half-life of trichlorfon in cabbage was 1.80 d with a dissipation rate of 90% over 5 d, while that in soil was 3.05 d with a dissipation rate of 90% over 14 d at one experimental site. The dissipation rates of trichlorfon and its degradation product dichlorvos at the two experimental sites were different, suggesting that degradation of these pesticides was affected by local soil characteristics and climate. When applied at both the recommended dosage and at 1.5 times this, no detectable residues of either trichlorfon or dichlorvos were found in soil or cabbage at harvest. Although trichlorfon can easily degrade into dichlorvos, which is highly toxic to humans and other animals, the observed low residual levels of dichlorvos suggest that trichlorfon is safe when applied at the recommended dosage.     

中国低碳发展的国际比较:世界贸易格局

近年来随着我国经济的持续平稳快速发展,与之相伴随的碳排放总量持续攀升,中国也因此被推上世界碳减排的风口浪尖.为了明确中国碳排放的国际地位,本文从世界贸易格局视角对中国的碳排放现状进行了国际比较研究.首先分析研究了我国2007年面临的碳排放国际形势,继而对我国的出口贸易形势进行了国际比较,最后采用GDP比例法和类推法对我国商品出口隐含的碳排放进行了初步测算,并分析了剔除出口贸易影响后的我国碳排放情况.通过研究认为:①出口贸易对我国的碳排放总量影响巨大,我国的商品出口占GDP比例长期维持在20%以上,近几年高峰值超过36%;②在当前的世界贸易格局、国际分工体系下,采用“生产者责任体系”碳排放测算模式大大高估了中国的碳排放水平,中国的碳排放总量中有34-60%是为他国服务而产生;③中国在当前世界贸易格局和国际分工体系中的地位使得中国在目前的碳排放测算模式下必然“产生较高的碳排放”;④世界各国应该重新审视和正确认识中国的“高”碳排放形势,中国为世界各国提供商品服务而产生的碳排放不应该受到指责.     

香港典型地质遗迹资源与地质公园建设

香港素以金融、商业贸易中心闻名于世界,但香港境内所发育的曲折有致的岩石海岸、幽远宁静的海滩、巍峨多姿的群山、造型奇异的岛礁,弥足珍贵的自然生态和地质遗迹资源却鲜为人知。本文在对香港地质概况进行简单介绍的基础上,对香港地质遗迹资源进行系统分类和对比分析,指出西贡万宜水库至果洲群岛方圆近150 km2范围内发育的十分典型、极具规模的六方柱状节理构造景观是世界上同类岩石中罕见的地质现象,其分布面积大,露头完整,具有稀缺性、独特性和典型性,最后对香港国家地质公园一个公园,两个园区,八个景区的空间结构及每个园区的主要地质遗迹资源进行了系统归纳总结。香港国家地质公园的建立很好的起到了保育地质多样性的首要目标,同时很好地推动了香港的地质教育和科普发展。     

江苏阳澄湖螺类群落的空间分布格局

2008年1月～2009年10月对江苏阳澄湖螺类群落结构进行了季节调查研究。共采集到螺类4科5属6种,优势种为铜锈环棱螺,次优种为长角涵螺。阳澄湖螺类平均密度为220±47 ind./m2,平均生物量为2331±469 g/m2,螺类密度和生物量在年际和季节间均无明显差异,但群落结构存在显著的空间变化,密度在东湖区和中华绒螯蟹围网养殖区较大、西湖区最小,生物量围网养殖区最高、西湖区最低;铜锈环棱螺密度围网养殖区最高、西湖区最低,长角涵螺密度东湖区最高、围网养殖区次之、入湖河流及其它湖区极低。中华绒螯蟹养殖未导致围网养殖区螺类数量下降,螺类（主要是铜锈环棱螺）的投放可能是该区螺类密度、生物量及铜锈环棱螺所占比例较高的主要原因之一。逐步回归分析表明,水深是影响螺类群落整体密度和生物量空间分布差异的主要因子;典型对应分析（CCA）表明,铜锈环棱螺主要分布在叶绿素a较高的水域,而长角涵螺和纹沼螺则主要分布在透明度较大的地方     

Long-term effects of clear-cutting and selective cutting on soil methane fluxes in a temperate spruce forest in southern Germany

Based on multi-year measurements of CH₄ exchange in sub-daily resolution we show that clear-cutting of a forest in Southern Germany increased soil temperature and moisture and decreased CH₄ uptake. CH₄ uptake in the first year after clear-cutting (−4.5 ± 0.2 μg C m⁻² h⁻¹) was three times lower than during the pre-harvest period (−14.2 ± 1.3 μg C m⁻² h⁻¹). In contrast, selective cutting did not significantly reduce CH₄ uptake. Annual mean uptake rates were −1.18 kg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ (spruce control), −1.16 kg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ (selective cut site) and −0.44 kg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ (clear-cut site), respectively. Substantial seasonal and inter-annual variations in CH₄ fluxes were observed as a result of significant variability of weather conditions, demonstrating the need for long-term measurements. Our findings imply that a stepwise selective cutting instead of clear-cutting may contribute to mitigating global warming by maintaining a high CH₄ uptake capacity of the soil.     

Tissue distribution of Dechlorane Plus and its dechlorinated analogs in contaminated fish: high affinity to the brain for anti-DP

Information on tissue distribution of Dechlorane Plus (DP) and its dechlorinated analogs in wildlife is scarce. DP isomers and two dechlorinated compounds, anti-Cl₁₁-DP and anti-Cl₁₀-DP, were examined in the muscle, liver, and brain tissues of two bottom fish species collected from an electronic waste recycling site, South China. The median levels of syn-, anti-, and anti-Cl₁₁-DP isomers in the tissues ranged 0.18-39.1, 0.22-52.9, and 0.01-5.63 ng/g wet wt, respectively. Anti-Cl₁₀-DP was only detected in one muscle sample of mud carp (0.01 ng/g wet wt), although it was consistently detected in the sediments (0.42-0.83 ng/g dry wt). Preferential distribution in liver relative to muscle was observed for syn-DP and anti-Cl₁₁-DP. However, a high persistent retention in the brain compared to the liver was observed for anti-DP, suggesting that this isomer can across the blood-brain barrier of fish, and may cause adverse effects to the nervous system in the exposed biota.     

Influence of soluble microbial products (SMP) on wastewater disinfection byproducts: trihalomethanes and haloacetic acid species from the chlorination of SMP

Introduction  

Effluent organic matter from biological wastewater treatment plants is composed of degradation products and soluble microbial products (SMP). Protein, polysaccharide, humic acid, and DNA were major biomolecules of SMP. Little is known about the effects of SMP as microbially derived precursors on disinfection byproduct formation and speciation in biologically treated wastewater. In addition, there has never been any attempt to directly chlorinate the major biomolecules of SMP.     

Determination of o-phthalic acid in snow and its photochemical degradation by capillary gas chromatography coupled with flame ionization and mass spectrometric detection

Phthalic acid and its photochemical degradation has been determined in snow and rainwater samples collected during winters (2003-2010) in the Southeast of Massachusetts using capillary gas chromatography (GC) with flame ionization and mass spectrometric detection. Water samples were dried using a rotary evaporator and derivatized with a 14% BF₃/methanol reagent before GC analysis. The developed method proved simple and accurate. Phthalic acid was found in snow samples collected in a concentration range of 7.22-76.5 nM. The photodegradation of phthalate was carried out under 300 nm UV light. The direct photodecomposition of the acid is slow (5% h⁻¹). However, the addition of dissolved Fe(III) species at 2.0 μM accelerated the light-induced degradation of phthalic acid by 3.5 times in the atmospheric water samples. Photodegradation rates of phthalic acid increases with decreasing pH value of water samples in the range of pH 2.8-4.5.     

Spatial distribution of organochlorine contaminants in soil, sediment, and fish in Bikini and Enewetak Atolls of the Marshall Islands, Pacific Ocean

Several nuclear tests were performed at Enewetak and Bikini Atolls in the Marshall Islands between 1946 and 1958. The events at Bikini Atoll involved several ships that were tested for durability during nuclear explosions, and 24 vessels now rest on the bottom of the Bikini lagoon. Nine soil samples were collected from different areas on the two islands of the atoll, and eighteen sediment, nine fish, and one lobster were collected in the vicinity of the sunken ships. Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polychlorinated terphenyls (PCTs) in these samples were analyzed using gas chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry (GC/ITMS). The average recoveries ranged from 78% to 104% for the different PCB congeners. The limits of detection (LOD) for PCBs, PCTs, DDE, DDT, and dieldrin ranged 10-50 pg g⁻¹. Some fish from Enewetak contained PCBs at a concentration range of 37-137 ng g⁻¹, dry weight (dw), and most of the soils from Enewetak showed evidence of PCBs (22-392 ng g⁻¹ dw). Most of the Bikini lagoon sediment samples contained PCBs, and the highest was the one collected from around the Saratoga, an aircraft carrier (1555 ng g⁻¹ dw). Some of the fish samples, most of the soil samples, and only one of the sediment samples contained 2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-1,1-dichloroethylene (DDE) and PCBs. In addition to PCBs, the soils from Enewetak Atoll contained PCTs. PCTs were not detected in the sediment samples from Bikini Atoll. The results suggest local pollution sources of PCBs, PCTs, and OCPs.