New method for bis (methylmercuric) selenide synthesis from methylmercuric chloride,sodium selenite and reduced glutathione

Bis(methylmercuric) selenide [BMS, (CH₃Hg)₂Se] was obtained by the reaction of methylmercuric chloride and sodium selenite in the presence of reduced glutathione or cysteine in a reasonable yield. The reaction is simple and useful for BMS synthesis.     

High-resolution modeling and evaluation of ozone air quality of Osaka using an MM5-CMAQ system

High-resolution modeling approach is increasingly being considered as a necessary step for improving the monitoring and predictions of regional air quality.This is especially true for highly urbanized region with complex terrain and land-use.This study uses Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model coupled with MM5 mesoscale model for a comprehensive analysis to assess the suitability of such high-resolution modeling system in predicting ozone air quality in the complex terrains of Osaka,Japan.The 1-km and 3-km grid domains were nested inside a 9-km domain and the domain with 1-km grid covered the Osaka region.High-resolution Grid Point Value-Mesoscale Model μgPV-MSM) data were used after suitable validation.The simulated ozone concentrations were validated and evaluated using statistical metrics using performance criteria set for ozone.Daily maxima of ozone were found better simulated by the 1-km grid domain than the coarser 9-km and 3-km domains,with the maximum improvement in the mean absolute gross error about 3 ppbv.In addition,1-km grid results fared better than other grids at most of the observation stations that showed noticeable differences in gross error as well as correlation.These results amply justify the use of the integrated high-resolution MM5-CMAQ modeling system in the highly urbanized region,such as the Osaka region,which has complex terrain and land-use.     

Leaching of arsenic from coal fly ashes 2. Arsenic pre‐leaching with sodium gluconate solution

The present study deals with the development of an efficient and reliable process for safe disposal of coal fly ash to remove arsenic that has been found to be the most easily leachable and hazardous heavy metal in coal fly ash. Pre‐leaching of fly ash prior to disposal by a natural chelating agent, sodium gluconate (SG), was proposed and studied. Several operational factors influencing arsenic leachability, such as concentration of SG solution, liquid to solid ratio, pH, length of leaching time and leaching temperature were examined. Arsenic was found to leach out substantially with SG, but almost no further release was observed from the ash pre‐leached by SG. After the pre‐leaching treatment, the desirable high buffering capacity of the ash was well sustained. SG solution was effectively regenerated by activated alumina adsorption so that it could be successfully reused for multiple leaching/adsorption cycles.     

Sequestered defensive toxins in tetrapod vertebrates: principles, patterns, and prospects for future studies

Chemical defenses are widespread among animals, and the compounds involved may be either synthesized from nontoxic precursors or sequestered from an environmental source. Defensive sequestration has been studied extensively among invertebrates, but relatively few examples have been documented among vertebrates. Nonetheless, the number of described cases of defensive sequestration in tetrapod vertebrates has increased recently and includes diverse lineages of amphibians and reptiles (including birds). The best-known examples involve poison frogs, but other examples include natricine snakes that sequester toxins from amphibians and two genera of insectivorous birds. Commonalities among these diverse taxa include the combination of consuming toxic prey and exhibiting some form of passive defense, such as aposematism, mimicry, or presumptive death-feigning. Some species exhibit passive sequestration, in which dietary toxins simply require an extended period of time to clear from the tissues, whereas other taxa exhibit morphological or physiological specializations that enhance the uptake, storage, and/or delivery of exogenous toxins. It remains uncertain whether any sequestered toxins of tetrapods bioaccumulate across multiple trophic levels, but multitrophic accumulation seems especially likely in cases involving consumption of phytophagous or mycophagous invertebrates and perhaps consumption of poison frogs by snakes. We predict that additional examples of defensive toxin sequestration in amphibians and reptiles will be revealed by collaborations between field biologists and natural product chemists. Candidates for future investigation include specialized predators on mites, social insects, slugs, and toxic amphibians. Comprehensive studies of the ecological, evolutionary, behavioral, and regulatory aspects of sequestration will require teams of ecologists, systematists, ethologists, physiologists, molecular biologists, and chemists. The widespread occurrence of sequestered defenses has important implications for the ecology, evolution, and conservation of amphibians and reptiles.     

Is a voluntary approach an effective environmental policy instrument?: A case for environmental management systems

Using Japanese facility-level data from an OECD survey, we estimate the effects of implementation of ISO14001 and publication of environmental reports on the facilities’ environmental performance. While most previous studies focused on an index of emissions toxicity, this study examines three areas of impacts, none of which have been explored in the literature: natural resource use, solid waste generation, and wastewater effluent. The study is also unique in that the effectiveness of ISO14001 is considered in relation to environmental regulations. Our findings are summarized as follows. First, both ISO14001 and report publication help reduce all three impacts; the former appears more effective in all areas except wastewater. Second, environmental regulations do not weaken the effect of ISO14001. Third, assistance programs offered by local governments—a voluntary approach—promote facilities’ adoption of ISO14001. These findings suggest that governments can use command-and-control and voluntary approaches concurrently.     

藻细胞破碎释放有机物的特性

对含藻水及藻细胞破碎条件下水样中有机物的分子质量分布、吸光度(UV)、总有机碳(TOC)进行了研究.结果表明,含藻水及其藻体细胞破碎后水样中有机物可划分为5个分子质量群,平均分子质量分别为8785.254,4476.826,3880.367,2968.352,1522.776u;藻体细胞破碎后向水体中释放带有双键基团的有机物,随破碎时间的延长,水样UV₂₆₀值增加;藻体细胞破碎后,主要溶出平均分子质量为8785.254u的大分子有机物,使水样TOC值随破碎时间的增加而增加.     

Impacts of converting from leaded to unleaded gasoline on ambient lead concentrations in Jakarta metropolitan area

Total suspended particulate mater （TSP） concentrations were monitored for one year from July 2000 and for one year from April 2003 in Jakarta City. Thirteen elemental TSP components, aluminum （Al）, sodium （Na）, iron （Fe）, lead （Pb）, potassium （K）, zinc （Zn）, titanium （Ti）, manganese （Mn）, bromine （Br）, copper （Cu）, chromium （Cr）, nickel （Ni）, and vanadium （V） were analyzed by a sequential X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. Al, Na, Fe, K, and Pb were major components at most of the sampling locations in 2000. However, only Pb in 2003 dramatically decreased to one tenth. The phase-out of leaded gasoline began on July 1, 2001 in Jakarta City and lead content in gasoline decreased to one tenth, too. The decrease in Pb concentration was a result of the phase-out of leaded gasoline, as lead emissions mainly are exhaust gas from vehicles.     

Seasonal variation of monoterpene emission rate in a pine forest

A technique to observe terpene emission rate in a forest without disturbing the environment of plant, was developed, and the seasonal variation of monoterpene emission rate from a branch in a pine forest was measured.