A new sensitive test based on yeast cells for studying environmental pollution

Different tests based on yeast cells were developed for determination of mutagenic/carcinogenic action; however, they all showed lower sensitivity compared to bacterial tests, the main reason for this being the limited permeability of yeast cells. We found that general permeability of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells can be increased by mutation and on this basis we developed a more sensitive test. The aim of this study was to prove the applicability of our test, called D7ts1, in environmental studies. Soil, water and air samples were taken during 1998 from regions in Bulgaria with declared low, average or high pollution levels and investigated for presence of mutagenic/carcinogenic activities in the bacterial test of Ames, the yeast D7 test of Zimmermann and our new D7ts1 test. Results obtained evidenced the following conclusions: (1) the usage of D7ts1 test instead of D7 test permits a clearer measurement of positive samples and detects mutagenic/carcinogenic activities undetectable by D7 test; (2) all samples with positive Ames test were positive in the D7ts1 test; however, some samples, clearly positive in the D7ts1, were negative in the Ames test; therefore, the simultaneous usage of D7ts1 and Ames tests in environmental studies is advantageous because it detects dangers for the human health activities to which bacterial cells do not respond; and (3) regions in Bulgaria declared clean were found to be polluted; particularly troubled are the whole-year positive data in the three tests for air samples from a 'clean' region.     

In situ monitoring of the mutagenic effects of the gaseous emissions of a solid waste incinerator in metropolitan São Paulo, Brazil, using the Tradescantia stamen-hair assay

The present work was designed to determine the potential genotoxicity at the vicinity of a solid waste incinerator in the metropolitan area of S?o Paulo, using the Tradescantia stamen-hair bioassay. Experiments were carried out between December 1998 and April 1999 in four regions (40 pots of plants per site) selected on the basis of their pollution levels predicted by theoretical modeling of the dispersion of the incinerator's plume. The exposure sites were defined as follows: highest level (incinerator); a high level (museum) located 1.5 km from the emission point; a moderate level (school, at a distance of 3.5 km from the incinerator); and a control (at Jaguariúna countryside). The difference in genotoxicity among the groups was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The frequency of mutations observed in the countryside was significantly lower [2.25 +/- 1.55, mean +/- SD (standard deviation)] than that of the sites close to the incinerator. The frequency of mutations measured at the school (3.70 +/- 1.36) was significantly lower than that measured at both the museum (4.89 +/- 1.12) and the incinerator (5.69 +/- 1.34). In conclusion, we found a positive correlation between the spatial distribution of the emissions of the incinerator located in an urban area and the mutagenic events measured by the Tradescantia stamen-hair assay. The in situ approach employed in this study was simple, efficient, and of low cost. No air or chemical extraction of pollutants was necessary for genotoxicity testing as required by other assays.     

Review of ozone and temperature lidar validations performed within the framework of the Network for the Detection of Stratospheric Change

The use of assimilation tools for satellite validation requires true estimates of the accuracy of the reference data. Since its inception, the Network for Detection of Stratospheric Change (NDSC) has provided systematic lidar measurements of ozone and temperature at several places around the world that are well adapted for satellite validations. Regular exercises have been organised to ensure the data quality at each individual site. These exercises can be separated into three categories: large scale intercomparisons using multiple instruments, including a mobile lidar; using satellite observations as a geographic transfer standards to compare measurements at different sites; and comparative investigations of the analysis software. NDSC is a research network, so each system has its own history, design, and analysis, and has participated differently in validation campaigns. There are still some technological differences that may explain different accuracies. However, the comparison campaigns performed over the last decade have always proved to be very helpful in improving the measurements. To date, more efforts have been devoted to characterising ozone measurements than to temperature observations. The synthesis of the published works shows that the network can potentially be considered as homogeneous within +/-2% between 20-35 km for ozone and +/-1 K between 35-60 km for temperature. Outside this altitude range, larger biases are reported and more efforts are required. In the lower stratosphere, Raman channels seem to improve comparisons but such capabilities were not systematically compared. At the top of the profiles, more investigations on analysis methodologies are still probably needed. SAGE II and GOMOS appear to be excellent tools for future ozone lidar validations but need to be better coordinated and take more advantage of assimilation tools. Also, temperature validations face major difficulties caused by atmospheric tides and therefore require intercomparisons with the mobile systems, at all sites.     

荷兰政府的可持续采购思路

在 1 997年中期荷兰政府公布的《环境与经济政策文件》中 ,在为期 5年内为一项鼓励性计划拨款 1 0 0 0万荷兰盾 ,以提高环境在政府机构采购和签合同时的重要性 .这是给市场一个明确的信号 :应当重视环境 .这个“可持续采购计划”的目标有三个 :◆为其它人树立榜样 ;◆实现即时环境效益 ;◆通过创造 /增加对那些给环境带来较小负担的产品的需求 ,和通过刺激“绿色”产品革新 ,对市场施加影响 .为了实现这些目标 ,该计划的宗旨是通过中央政府 ( 1 3个部 )、1 2个荷兰省、5 72个市和 68个负责水管理的水局 ,刺激和便利自愿协调的可持续采购 .这…     

尼日利亚中部中生代花岗岩类的钾长石三斜度和痕量元素含量

<正> 尼日利亚的中生代年轻花岗岩区以具有不同程度锡矿化的火山杂岩和次生火山杂岩为特征。在广泛寻找原生矿床工作中,已利用矿物和地球化学的参数来圈定无矿和矿化花岗岩。锡矿化与这个岩区中的黑云母花岗岩、钠长石     

对美国金矿业基础的评价

<正> 引言1969年,美国对美元作了自动贬值。这一行动导致黄金价格在随后的4年里失去了控制,同时也使美国金矿业得到了复苏。本世纪70年代出现的极度通货膨胀导致了贵金属价格的急剧上涨。因此,人们对金矿的勘探和开采产生了日益增长的兴趣。少数幸存下来的采金者开始焕发了热情,他们都是在金价格长期固定不变而采金成本不断增加的情况下,靠勉强能维持收支平衡的利     

厂内工艺调整减少污泥

本文主要通过简单的工艺调整来减少入海处置污泥的体积,以降低处置费用。采用的技术包括;消化污泥回流、笔析、淘洗——再浓缩,以及高温消化。这里既可使用单项技术,也可多项并用。这类抟术极大部分可通过现有的设备和花费极少的费用付之实施。     

稀土元素在风化作用中的行为

<正> 承认沉积过程使火成岩形成时发生的REE分馏均一化的观点,势必会掩盖在风化作用中可以发生REE分馏的事实,并把沉积物运移过程引起的变化弄得含糊不清,而且也常常会(虽然不会总是)抹掉风化作用的证据。过去的二十年间,详尽研究了大陆风化期间REE的行为后开始阐述这些过程,同时还积累了一些证据,证实REE也受海底风化作用的影响,至少在一些实例中是这样。     

苏联地质学:成就和展望

<正> 苏联领土面积为22.4百万平方公里,占世界大陆总面积的六分之一。苏联拥有多种大型地质构造,如古老的东欧地台和西伯利亚地台及波罗的、乌克兰、阿尔丹和阿纳巴尔地盾,还包括显生宙的乌拉尔-蒙古、地中海和太平洋褶皱带(图1)的广阔区