Stable isotope ratios of a tropical marine predator: confounding effects of nutritional status during growth

Stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen is frequently used to study the diets and foraging ecology of marine predators. However, isotopic values may also be affected by an individual’s nutritional status and associated physiological processes. Here, we use C and N stable isotopes in blood and feathers of blue-footed booby chicks at the Galápagos Islands to examine how isotopic values are related to body condition and growth rate, and to assess the consistency in the isotope ratios of individuals during growth. Size dimorphism in blue-footed boobies provided an additional opportunity to examine how isotope ratios differ between sexes in relation to body size and growth rate. There was no significant difference between sexes but both C and N stable isotopes were significantly negatively related to the body condition of chicks. These data were consistent with individual variation in physiological processes affecting fractionation, although we cannot rule out the possibility that they were also influenced to some extent by population-level variation in the stable isotope ratios of prey fed to chicks, for instance related to prey size, depth or lipid content. Our results highlight the need for methods that take proper account of confounding physiological factors in isotopic studies of foraging ecology and diet.     

Size-dependent behavior of tuna in an array of fish aggregating devices (FADs)

Several lines of evidence indicate that aggregations of yellowfin tuna associated with floating objects are more frequently composed of small animals than larger ones. Also, the diet of small yellowfin tuna caught at anchored fish aggregating devices (FADs) around Oahu, Hawaii, was found to shift quite rapidly when these fish reached approximately 50 cm FL. In order to test for ontogenetic changes in aggregation behavior, we tagged and released two distinct size classes of yellowfin tuna in an array of anchored FADs around Oahu, Hawaii. Twenty-four yellowfin tuna 30–39 cm FL and 16 yellowfin tuna 63–83 cm FL were tagged with acoustic transmitters and released near anchored FADs equipped with automated acoustic receivers. Fish in the smaller size class stayed about 2.5 times longer at individual FADs than the larger fish (mean 4.05 days vs. 1.65 days) and displayed larger horizontal movements within the array. However, the durations of unassociated phases, residence times in the entire FAD array, percentage of time spent associated with FADs and numbers of movements between FADs did not show any difference between the two size groups. The observed size-dependent behavior is discussed in terms of physiological abilities, diet segregation and anti-predator behavior.     

Combining gut fluorescence technique and spatial analysis to determine <Emphasis Type="Italic">Littorina littorea</Emphasis> grazing dynamics in nutrient-enriched and nutrient-unenriched littoral mesocosms

Spatiotemporal distribution patterns in relation to feeding behavior of herbivorous gastropods have been studied extensively, but still knowledge about small-scale patterns is limited in relation to eutrophication. This experimental study aimed to describe the small-scale distribution of Littorina littorea in nutrient-enriched and nutrient-unenriched mesocosms in a merely atidal region and relate the distribution to food abundance and possible competing organisms, while checking simultaneously for feeding activities. The latter part was accomplished through the “gut fluorescence technique” GFT (which, to our knowledge, has not previously been used for benthic grazers) to estimate per capita grazing rates and the former part through monitoring of spatial heterogeneity of L. littorea and co-variation with sessile organisms (using semivariograms and cross-semivariograms, respectively). After 5 months of nutrient addition, the abundance and biomass of L. littorea had increased in enriched systems, which also had significantly higher total biomass of green algae. Gut pigment content was higher in L. littorea from enriched mesocosms, and gut depletion rate was higher in L. littorea from unenriched mesocosms. Spatial analysis showed that L. littorea exhibited generally random patterns (suggesting feeding activities) but sometimes (often in the morning) spatial patchiness (clumped distribution) in both enriched and unenriched conditions. There was mainly positive co-variation between L. littorea and biofilm, while different nutrient conditions exhibited contrasting co-variation between L. littorea and barnacles (positive co-variation in enriched and negative co-variation in unenriched mesocosms). The study offered insights into how feeding behavior and spatial distribution of a species may interact with community components differently under different nutrient regimes. The applied methodology can be useful for purposes of faster examination of grazing effects among different regions and also to compare grazing intensities and interactions between grazers and the benthic communities in disturbed (including pollution and nutrient enrichment) and non-disturbed systems, as well as in up-welling versus non-upwelling areas.     

RBCA、CLEA及CalTOX模型在苯并[a]芘污染场地健康风险评估中的应用比较

为探讨不同模型对污染场地健康风险评估结果的影响,以苯并[a]芘为例,采用RBCA、CLEA和CalTOX模型对某工业污染场地表层土壤进行健康风险评估,分析了评估结果的差异和原因,同时对模型的主要暴露参数进行了敏感性分析,并推导出基于风险概率分布的土壤修复限值。结果表明,RBCA、CLEA和CalTOX模型计算的苯并[a]芘致癌总风险分别为2.40×10-4、6.32×10-4和7.04×10-6,且经口摄入和皮肤接触2个途径对人体健康造成的危害最大。降解作用是影响CalTOX模型风险评估结果不同于RBCA和CLEA模型的重要因素,3个模型间参数取值及方法学的差异也会导致风险评估结果不同。各模型暴露参数的敏感性排序也有差异。采用基于风险概率分布的方法推导土壤修复限值,RBCA、CLEA和CalTOX模型所得结果分别为0.18、0.08、0.13(不考虑降解作用CalTOX模型)和10.74(考虑降解作用CalTOX模型)mg·kg-1,为各模型直接推导值的1.5～2.6倍。基于风险概率分布的方法可有效降低风险评估过程中参数不确定性的影响,为工业污染场地土壤修复值的制定提供参考。     

光周期对油桃芽休眠诱导及呼吸代谢的影响

以‘曙光’(Prunus persica var.nectariana cv.Shuguang)油桃为试材,研究光周期对油桃芽休眠诱导进程以及对芽内底物水平的呼吸代谢运行的影响.结果表明:短日照使油桃芽提前进入休眠诱导,并促进休眠迅速加深,而长日照使休眠延迟.整个休眠诱导期内,叶芽和花芽的总呼吸速率先升高后降低.在底物水平上,随着休眠诱导的进行,三羧酸循环(TCA)略有下降,但仍维持高位运行,磷酸戊糖途径(PPP)在总呼吸中比例持续上升.短日照诱导相关的呼吸代谢变化提前出现,而长日照对相关呼吸代谢的变化具有推迟作用.     

Environmental impact of historical harbour city Zadar (Croatia) on the composition of marine sediments and soils

Sediment samples and soils along the coast line of the Adriatic Sea were sampled along a transect near the coast line at Zadar/Croatia, ranging from north-western suburbs via the historical centre and the industrial area to south-east suburbs. The sediments were dominated by carbonates and clay minerals, and contaminations with Cd–Cu–Pb–Zn–TOC (total organic carbon) at the historical centre and the industrial site were detected, as well as P and Mo input at the mouth of a small creek, probably from agriculture. No trends between the composition of surface and subsurface sea sediments were seen. At the historic harbour site, total element concentrations versus grain size showed a minimum in the fine silt fraction for most of the elements analysed. The soil samples behind the shoreline were not carbonaceous, but dominated by Fe–Al– oxides, some contained high levels of Be–Cd–Cu–Sn–Zn. Surprisingly, high TOC values within the soils might be assigned to human impacts, not to humus. Contrary to data from street dust samples from Seoul city/Korea, which were measured within our laboratory at the same time, Pt–Ir–Au were at ambient levels due to the limited use of catalysts in cars in the Zadar area at the time of sampling.     

The role of black carbon as a catalyst for environmental redox transformation

Black carbon (BC) is an important class of geosorbents that control the fate and transport of organic pollutants in soil and sediment. We previously demonstrated a new role of BC as an electron transfer mediator in the abiotic reduction of nitroaromatic and nitramine compounds by Oh and Chiu (Environ Sci Technol 43:6983–6988, 2009). We proposed that BC can catalyze the reduction of nitro compounds because it contains microscopic graphitic (graphene) domains, which facilitate both sorption and electron transfer. In this study, we assessed the ability of different types of BC—graphite, activated carbon, and diesel soot—to mediate the reduction of 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT) and 2,4-dibromophenol (DBP) by H₂S. All three types of BC enhanced DNT and DBP reduction. H₂S supported BC-mediated reduction, as was observed previously with a thiol reductant. The results suggest that BC may influence the fate of organic pollutants in reducing subsurface environments through redox transformation in addition to sorption.     

硅肥等量施用对土壤镉生物有效性和水稻吸收镉的影响

为研究硅（Si）肥等量施用对水稻不同生育期吸收镉（Cd）和土壤Cd生物有效性的影响,采用5种不同种类的Si肥（SiO₂用量为225 kg ·hm^-2）开展田间小区试验.结果表明,随着水稻生育期的延长,水稻根系和茎叶的Cd含量增加;施用Si肥,不同生育期水稻根系、茎叶和籽粒Cd含量平均分别降低14.9%、28.2%和12.2%;硅钙镁铁肥（SiCaMgFe）和水溶Si肥（SiW）处理,籽粒Cd含量分别比对照处理降低21.1%（P<0.05）和21.2%（P<0.05）;水稻根表铁膜中Cd含量（DCB-Cd）随着水稻生育期延长而增加,施用Si肥,水稻不同生育期DCB-Cd含量有高有低,DCB-Cd是根系Cd含量的15.8%~42.8%;与对照相比,施用Si肥水稻成熟期土壤可交换态Cd （Exc-Cd）含量平均降低36.4%,其它形态的含量平均增加12.5%~48.2%.水稻全生育期根系Cd与Si呈极显著负相关,与DCB-Cd呈极显著正相关,DCB-Cd与土壤有效态Cd和有效态Si呈极显著负相关,土壤Exc-Cd与Carb-Cd呈极显著负相关,土壤有效态Cd与pH值呈显著负相关.施用相同Si肥用量,SiCaMgFe和SiW处理降低水稻Cd含量的效果好;施用Si肥通过提高土壤pH值和土壤有效Si含量、降低土壤有效态Cd和Exc-Cd含量,促进Exc-Cd向Carb-Cd转移,减少根表铁膜对Cd的吸附,从而减少水稻对土壤Cd的吸收.     

硫酸雾测试方法若干问题思考

简述了我国硫酸雾测试方法的发展历史,分析和总结了《固定污染源废气硫酸雾的测定离子色谱法》(HJ 544—2016)存在的一些争议和问题,包括硫酸雾的定义、测试方法的干扰控制等。分析认为,相比《硫酸工业污染物排放标准》(GB 26132—2010),HJ 544—2016对硫酸雾的定义更加合理。实验结果表明:硫酸盐是测试方法条件下的目标物,滤筒可以显著地捕捉硫酸盐。9组样品滤筒中,被测目标物所占比例为7. 9%～69. 1%;滤筒和前吸收液中,被测目标物所占比例为93. 7%～97. 8%。HJ 544—2016新增加的两级串联碱液吸收瓶可以较完全地捕集穿透滤筒后的硫酸雾,同时也会捕集SO₂。SO₂会对硫酸雾测试产生正干扰,约42. 9%的SO₂在被吸收后转化为硫酸雾。     

基于三维空气质量模型的广东省臭氧生成速率分析

使用WRF/CAMx模型及化学过程分析(CPA)模块,系统研究了广东省夏、秋季的臭氧生成敏感性与生成速率。夏季,广州与东莞等珠三角中部地区臭氧生成主要对VOCs敏感,郊区的臭氧生成速率较大,珠江口地区是重要的臭氧生成源区,夏季白天(08:00—17:00)平均净臭氧生成速率可达37μg/(m³·h),位于珠三角东北部的天湖白天平均净臭氧生成速率约为25μg/(m³·h)。秋季,珠江口西岸臭氧生成主要对VOCs敏感,秋季臭氧生成速率显著低于夏季。夏、秋季珠三角大部分地区臭氧生成敏感性从早上对VOCs敏感逐步过渡到下午对NO_x敏感,广东其他大部分地区则全天均为NO_x敏感,一般在VOCs敏感区中的臭氧生成速率与化学消耗速率均较大。中心城区的臭氧生成弱,臭氧净化学消耗强。