Effects of atmospheric gases on terrestrial plants and critical levels of air pollution

An integrated approach was developed to determine the critical levels of air pollution for ecological standard setting based on the unified index of biological response, by taking into account the effects of all pollution components simultaneously. An empirical model of plant productivity was taken as the dose response model for gaseous pollutant effect on the productivity of trees and the annual productivity of plants was used as the above mentioned index. The CO2 increase in the lower atmosphere was considered to potentially increase plant productivity and NO2 was estimated as neutral while being dangerous for plants as a chemical precursor of ozone or as a source of acidification. The maximum permissible chronic O3 and SO2 levels for trees were estimated and it was found that O3 is much more phytotoxic, as compared to SO2 , with a rather narrow range of permissible levels (27-33 ppb) which complicates its monitoring and control.     

1957～1990年西北威尔士地区土壤酸性的增加

由自然界或人类活动排出的氧化硫或氧化氮所造成的酸沉降,会加剧土壤中阳离子的淋溶。如果土壤排水析出的主要离子是硫或氮,那么,为了保持土壤电荷呈中性就需要当量浓度阳离子。析出的阳离子常常被土壤交换体系用氢离子替代,结果,土壤的酸度增加。欧洲许多国家都报道过这种主要由人为排放二氧化硫和二氧化氮造成的土壤酸化问题。然而,除了在位于派克格拉斯和勃劳德鲍克的罗瑟姆斯太德试验站和基斯克劳福     

酸性矿井水沉淀污泥中锰及其他金属的化学稳定性

(美国)联邦法规1985年a和b对矿井水排放标准做了具体的规定,见表1。为满足排放要求,必须依法对酸性矿井水进行处理。这主要涉及到以下三大步骤:(一)向酸性矿井水加碱性物质,通常有CaO、Ca(OH)_2或NaOH;(二)自然曝气或机械曝气;(三)沉淀。当酸性矿井水PH值调到7或8时,且有足够的沉淀时间,绝大多数矿井水     

CO_2放电分解过程中与质量无关的氧同位素效应:对与质量无关的化学作用的进一步认识

<正> 长期来,宇宙化学界普遍认为,引起由化学作用产生的同位素效应的唯一原因是同位素质量差,对氧而言,产生了人们熟知的δ~(17)O0.52δ~(18)O关系式(Matsuhisa等,1978)。基于这一点,与质量无关(non-mass-depen-     

用抽提法除去污染土壤中的重金属

本试验的目的是开发从污染过的土壤中除去重金属的技术。试验是将六种不同的荷兰土壤用人工污染上五种不同的重金属,然后将污染过的土壤用三倍的0.1M的HCI溶液进行抽提,可将土壤中的Cu、Pb与Zn抽出90～99％,将Ni抽出80～90％,但是三价铬(Cr)只能抽出0～25％,可用次氯酸(HOCI)溶液在pH为8时抽出大部份铬(三价)。在水力旋流器中进行了固液分离试验。用化学凝聚与絮凝试验表明,几种絮凝剂都可收到很好的分离效果,这种絮凝并不影响抽提结果。在抽提与分离试验结果的基础上,安装了一套实验室规模的连续装置。抽提是在几只装有搅拌器的槽内进行,也可在有筛板的柱子中进行连续抽提。絮凝剂可以帮助     

Fluoride distibution and the effect of some ions along Alexandria coastal Mediterranean seawater of Egypt

The coastal seawater of Mediterranean of Alexandria receives large amount of discharged waters containing industrial wastes, sewage, and agricultural and domestic drainage. Fluoride and some parameters were(chemical and physical) determined. The data gave indication that the content and the amount of the discharged water largely affect the chemical composition of the coastal water. Stepwise regression analysis was highly significant and the model was very fruitful, where the observed and calculated values were mostly concordant. This may indicated that there was a relation between fluoride content in coastal seawater and its content in the discharged water.     

The effect of metapleural gland secretion on the growth of a mutualistic bacterium on the cuticle of leaf-cutting ants

In Acromyrmex octospinosus leaf-cutting ants the metapleural glands produce an array of antibiotic compounds that serve as a general defence against unwanted microbes on the cuticle. Leaf-cutting ants also grow mutualistic Pseudonocardiaceae bacteria on their cuticle that produce antibiotics controlling a microfungal parasite of their fungus gardens. Interaction between this bacterium and gland secretion therefore seems unavoidable. We document the typical development of bacterial growth on the cuticle of young major workers, show that growth starts a few days after eclosion, and that the maximal cover is reached after 2–3 weeks and gradually declines when workers mature. Experimental closure of the metapleural glands had no effect on the initial exponential growth phase of the bacterium, but significantly reduced the cover during the decline phase. The age-dependent abundance of the bacterium and its partial dependence on metapleural gland secretion support the hypothesis that the abundance of this mutualist is actively regulated.     

Flavonoid wing pigments increase attractiveness of female common blue (Polyommatus icarus) butterflies to mate-searching males

 Common blue butterflies (Polyommatus icarus) sequester flavonoids from their larval host plants and allocate these UV-absorbing pigments to the wings. In field experiments using dummies constructed from female butterflies, mate-searching males inspected flavonoid-rich dummies more intensively than those with little or no flavonoids. Flavonoid content as signalled by UV-wing pattern may indicate ontogenetically determined female quality or enhance detectability to males. Received: 21 March 2000 / Accepted in revised form: 17 May 2000