Slowest of the slow: latitudinal insensitivity of burrowing capacity in the bivalve <Emphasis Type="Italic">Laternula</Emphasis>

Low temperature limits the rate of biochemical reactions and aerobic scopes of cold water ectotherms. To compensate for this limiting effect, animals living in cold environments often possess physiological or morphological adaptations to maintain vital functions. Cross-latitudinal comparison of aerobic capacities is one method to test which factors constrain activity in thermally distinct environments particularly when congeneric studies are carried out on related species with conservative ecology and habitat. Burrowing is a major aerobic activity of bivalve molluscs that is described here for the first time for the tropical mangrove species Laternula truncata and Laternula boschasina and then compared with their Antarctic congener Laternula elliptica. About 80% of L. truncata (16.3–46.1 mm shell length) and 63% of L. boschasina (11.3–27.7 mm shell length) buried within 24 h at 28°C. The burrowing rate index (BRI = [³√wet weight/time to bury]×10⁴) ranged between 1.1 and 20.2 for L. boschasina and 1.1–32.9 for L. truncata. These values are 2–3 orders of magnitude less than other tropical bivalve molluscs and are amongst the lowest recorded for any bivalve. Comparisons with the Antarctic L. elliptica showed little or no differences in BRI (Q ₁₀ of 1.0–1.2 for specimens of the same size). This is contrary to the general pattern over a wide range of bivalves, where BRI increases with a Q ₁₀ of between 2.9 and 6.4 between high latitudes and the equator. L. elliptica has 25–30% longer relative foot length than tropical congeners of the same size, which could be a morphological adaptation compensating for reduced burrowing speeds in a colder environment. Burrowing rates within the genus Laternula could, however, also be maintained by differing habitat, ecological and physiological constraints on burrowing capability.     

Diffusive gradients in thin films using molecularly imprinted polymer binding gels for in situ measurements of antibiotics in urban wastewaters

• Selective molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) binding gel was prepared. • MIP-DGT showed excellent uptake performance for antibiotics. • In situ measurement of antibiotics in wastewaters via MIP-DGT was developed. • The MIP-DGT method was robust, reliable, and highly sensitive. Urban wastewater is one of main sources for the introduction of antibiotics into the environment. Monitoring the concentrations of antibiotics in wastewater is necessary for estimating the amount of antibiotics discharged into the environment through urban wastewater treatment systems. In this study, we report a novel diffusive gradient in thin films (DGT) method based on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for in situ measurement of two typical antibiotics, fluoroquinolones (FQs) and sulfonamides (SAs) in urban wastewater. MIPs show specific adsorption toward their templates and their structural analogs, resulting in the selective uptake of the two target antibiotics during MIP-DGT deployment. The uptake performance of the MIP-DGTs was evaluated in the laboratory and was relatively independent of solution pH (4.0–9.0), ionic strength (1–750 mmol/L), and dissolved organic matter (DOM, 0–20 mg/L). MIP-DGT samplers were tested in the effluent of an urban wastewater treatment plant for field trials, where three SA (sulfamethoxazole, sulfapyridine, and trimethoprim) and one FQ (ofloxacin) antibiotics were detected, with concentrations ranging from 25.50 to 117.58 ng/L, which are consistent with the results measured by grab sampling. The total removal efficiency of the antibiotics was 80.1% by the treatment plant. This study demonstrates that MIP-DGT is an effective tool for in situ monitoring of trace antibiotics in complex urban wastewaters.     

γ-辐照预处理太湖源水的研究

γ-辐照是一种高级氧化技术。为考察γ-辐照对水华爆发时期太湖源水预处理的效果,采集了此时期水样进行了预处理研究。结果表明:采集的水样处于富营养化状态;水样直接进行γ-辐照,其中的微囊藻毒素-LR和微囊藻毒素-RR得到有效降解。在10kGy的辐照剂量下,微囊藻毒素-LR和微囊藻毒素-RR的降解率均大于63%,降解后微囊藻毒素-LR质量浓度低于国家规定标准。碳酸钠的加入促进了微囊藻毒素的降解,但是效果不是很明显,降解率提高最大幅度为7.8%。γ-辐照对源水中的其他有机物质具有一定的去除作用。水样经辐照后,pH值的变化幅度最大为0.4,但pH仍在7.0~8.0之间。辐照技术在水华爆发时期水源地水预处理方面具有应用价值。     

Influence of environmental temperature and relative humidity on photocatalytic oxidation of toluene on activated carbon fibers coated TiO2

TiO₂ supported on active carbon fiber (TiO₂/ACF), an absorbable photocatalyst, is a new kind of material applied in air purification. In this paper, the influence of environmental temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH) on the gas-solid adsorption of toluene and the photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) efficiency of adsorbed toluene on TiO₂/ACF were studied, and then, the purification capability of TiO₂/ACF was estimated. PCO results showed that although the PCO efficiency increased under high RH and T levels, the amount of adsorption of toluene decreased. Moreover, quantitative analysis results of intermediates indicated that more environmental risk emerged when PCO of toluene was carried out at higher environmental T and RH levels because more toxic intermediates would be accumulated on the TiO₂/ACF. So, it is significant to control the environmental T and RH conditions in the application of the PCO technique. T = 25°C and RH530% is the optimal condition for purifying toluene in our experimental system.     

γ-辐照对水中腐殖酸去除的研究

以腐殖酸作为消毒副产物前驱物的代表,研究了γ-辐照对其去除效果.结果表明,γ-辐照对水中腐殖酸具有较好的去除作用.腐殖酸初始浓度为10mg·l-1时,在1.0kGy的辐照剂量下,腐殖酸去除率为88.6%,总有机碳减少62.8%,色度去除率为76%.随着辐照剂量的增加,氧化还原电位先增大后减小,而电导率则相反.在相同的辐照剂量下,初始浓度较低的腐殖酸去除率较高.碳酸盐对辐照去除腐殖酸具有抑制作用,中性条件有利于γ-辐照对腐殖酸的去除.辐照去除腐殖酸的过程可用一级动力学描述.     

土地利用方式对紫色土丘陵区土壤剖面碳、氮影响

采取野外调查与室内分析相结合的方法研究了紫色土丘陵区林地、撂荒地、水田、旱地土壤剖面(0～40 cm)有机碳、全氮变化特征.结果表明.有机碳、全氮均随土层深度增加而逐渐减小,且林地、撂荒地有机碳递减幅度高于水田、旱地.相对于撂荒地和旱地,水田、林地更利于有机碳、全氮的积累.林地有机碳和全氮在0～5 cm土层表现出绝对优势;随土层递增,与水田、撂荒地和旱地的差异逐渐减小.水田有机碳和全氮在大于10 cm土层显示最大值.而撂荒地有机碳和全氮仅在土壤表层高于旱地.有机碳与全氮存在显著正相关关系;w(C)/w(N)随土层深度增加而降低,且林地、撂荒地降低幅度较大.因此相对于水田、旱地,林地和撂荒地w(C)/w(N)仅在0～10 cm显示较大值.可见,土地利用方式对陆地生态系统碳、氮蓄积有明显影响,通过旱地还林或撂荒可以增加土壤特别是表层土壤对碳、氮的积累.     

Roles of manganese oxides in degradation of phenol under UV-Vis irradiation: Adsorption, oxidation, and photocatalysis

The effect of crystal structure on photocatalytic activities of manganese oxides and underlying reaction mechanism were investigated.     

Characterization of cattle fecal Streptomyces strains converting cellulose and hemicelluloses into reducing sugars

To characterize Streptomyces isolated from cattle feces for converting lignocellulose into reducing sugars, five Streptomyces strains were screened. All the strains could convert lignocellulose into reducing sugars. The strain A16 accumulate 3.3-folds more reducing sugars on cottonseed shells treated with ethanol than without the treatment (P?<?0.05). The five strains did not accumulate more reducing sugars on rice straws and wheat brans than those on cottonseed shells. Compared with A10 alone, the microbial combination of F1 + A10 accumulated 19, 61, and 25 % less reducing sugars on cottonseed shell, rice straw, and wheat bran than those by A10 solely, respectively (P?<?0.05). Further studies indicated that the activities of avicelase and xylanase were not correlated with the reducing sugar amount accumulated by the test strains. Strain A7 could produce more cellular lipids with xylose and glucose as the sole carbon sources. This study shows the potential for Streptomyces strains from herbivore feces to convert lignocelluloses into lipids and reducing sugars for fuel production.     

NO2 catalytic formation,consumption, and efflux in various types of diesel particulate filter

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The high NO2/NOX ratio in the after-treatment system is beneficial to its performance and achieved by NO catalytic conversion in diesel oxidation...