Effect of water-table fluctuation on dissolution and biodegradation of a multi-component, light nonaqueous-phase liquid

Light nonaqueous-phase liquids (LNAPLs) such as gasoline and diesel fuel are among the most common causes of soil and groundwater contamination. Dissolution and subsequent advective transport of LNAPL components can negatively impact water supplies, while biodegradation is thought to be an important sink for this class of contaminants. We present a laboratory investigation of the effect of a water-table fluctuation on dissolution and biodegradation of a multi-component LNAPL (85% hexadecane, 5% toluene, 5% ethylbenzene, and 5% 2-methylnapthalene on a molar basis) in a pair of similar model aquifers (80 cm x 50 cm x 3 cm), one of which was subjected to a water-table fluctuation. Water-table fluctuation resulted in LNAPL and air entrapment below the water table, an increase in the vertical extent of the LNAPL source zone (by factor 6.7), and an increase in the volume of water passing through the source zone (by factor ~18). Effluent concentrations of dissolved LNAPL components were substantially higher and those of dissolved nitrate lower in the model aquifer where a fluctuation had been induced. Thus, water-table fluctuation led to enhanced biodegradation activity (28.3 mmol of nitrate consumed compared to 16.3 mmol in the model without fluctuation) as well as enhanced dissolution of LNAPL components. Despite the increased biodegradation, fluctuation led to increased elution of dissolved LNAPL components from the system (by factors 10-20). Hence, water-table fluctuations in LNAPL-contaminated aquifers might be expected to result in increased exposure of downgradient receptors to LNAPL components. Accordingly, water-table fluctuations in contaminated aquifers are probably undesirable unless the LNAPL is of minimal solubility or the dissolved-phase plume is not expected to reach a receptor due to distance or the presence of some form of containment.     

Analysis of mercury and other heavy metals accumulated in lichen Usnea antarctica from James Ross Island,Antarctica

The study was designed to investigate the content and distribution of selected heavy metals (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Fe, Pb and Zn) in samples of fruticose macrolichen Usnea antarctica from James Ross Island. A special emphasis was devoted to mercury and its species (elemental mercury and methylmercury). It was found that mercury contents were relatively high (up to 2.73 mg kg^?1 dry weight) compared to other parts of the Antarctic Peninsula region, while the concentrations of most other elements were within reported ranges. Mercury contents in lichens originating from the interior were higher than those from the coast, which is probably the result of local microclimate conditions. Similar trends were observed for Hg⁰ and MeHg⁺, whose contents were up to 0.14 and 0.098 mg kg^?1 dry weight, respectively. While mercury did not show a significant correlation with any other element, the mutual correlation of some litophile elements probably refers to the influence on thalli of resuspended weathered material. The influence of habitat and environmental conditions could play an essential role in the bioaccumulation of contaminants rather than just the simple presence of sources. Thus, the study of the thalli of this species can bring a new perspective on the interpretation of contaminant accumulation in lichens of the polar region.     

Global mismatches in aboveground and belowground biodiversity

Human activities are accelerating global biodiversity change and have resulted in severely threatened ecosystem services. A large proportion of terrestrial biodiversity is harbored by soil, but soil biodiversity has been omitted from many global biodiversity assessments and conservation actions, and understanding of global patterns of soil biodiversity remains limited. In particular, the extent to which hotspots and coldspots of aboveground and soil biodiversity overlap is not clear. We examined global patterns of these overlaps by mapping indices of aboveground (mammals, birds, amphibians, vascular plants) and soil (bacteria, fungi, macrofauna) biodiversity that we created using previously published data on species richness. Areas of mismatch between aboveground and soil biodiversity covered 27% of Earth's terrestrial surface. The temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome had the highest proportion of grid cells with high aboveground biodiversity but low soil biodiversity, whereas the boreal and tundra biomes had intermediate soil biodiversity but low aboveground biodiversity. While more data on soil biodiversity are needed, both to cover geographic gaps and to include additional taxa, our results suggest that protecting aboveground biodiversity may not sufficiently reduce threats to soil biodiversity. Given the functional importance of soil biodiversity and the role of soils in human well-being, soil biodiversity should be considered further in policy agendas and conservation actions by adapting management practices to sustain soil biodiversity and considering soil biodiversity when designing protected areas.     

Long-term dynamics of biomass production, soil chemical properties and plant species composition of alluvial grassland after the cessation of fertilizer application in the Czech Republic

The resilience, the ability of an ecosystem to recover after termination of perturbation, of highly productive Alopecurus grassland was investigated after the cessation of the following long-term fertilizer treatments applied under a two- or three-cut management regime: unfertilized control, PK, N₁₀₀PK, N₂₀₀PK, N₃₀₀PK and N₄₀₀PK. Annual application rates of pure nutrients per hectare were 0–400 kg for N, 40 kg for P and 100 kg for K. The dynamics of biomass production were measured for 16 years and the effect of former fertilizer treatments on soil chemical properties, biomass chemical properties, plant species composition and species richness were investigated 16 years after the last application of fertilizers. It was concluded that 16 years was not long enough to achieve resilience in plant-available soil P and K concentrations, N/P ratios in the plant biomass or plant species composition, but that it was long enough to achieve resilience in species richness. In the case of biomass production the effect of former fertilizer treatments was apparent in 10 of the 16 seasons investigated, indicating that resilience in biomass production must be evaluated using data from more than 1 vegetation season. The results of the study stress the necessity for long-term research because of high year-to-year variability in biomass production as well as long-term after-effects of fertilizer treatments in alluvial grassland.     

Wolfgang Priester: from the big bounce to the $\Lambda$-dominated universe

Wolfgang Priester (1924–2005) was one of Germany’s most versatile and quixotic astrophysicists, reinventing himself successively as a radio astronomer, space physicist and cosmologist, and making a lasting impact on each field. We focus in this personal account on his contributions to cosmology, where he will be most remembered for his association with quasars, his promotion of the idea of a nonsingular “big bounce” at the beginning of the current expansionary phase, and his recognition of the importance of dark energy (Einstein’s cosmological constant Λ) well before this became the standard paradigm in cosmology. In memoriam Wolfgang Priester, 22 April 1924 – 9 July 2005     

Hunting for Dark Matter particles with new detectors

Although first hints of the existence of Dark Matter were observed by the Swiss astronomer Zwicky already in the 1930s, only in recent years has it become known that the universe, in fact, is dominated by particles whose nature is almost unknown and which have never been directly observed. Meanwhile, as the existence of these particles is postulated not only by astronomy, but also cosmology and theoretical particle physics, there is significant effort to detect them in a laboratory experiment and determine their physical properties. However, as the interaction rate between Dark Matter particles and ordinary matter is extremely low, detectors have to be extremely sensitive. Low temperature detectors have been available for more than a decade and have now reached the highest sensitivity for direct Dark Matter detection. In this article, we give a short overview of observational results that suggest the existence of Dark Matter particles and what physicists have learned so far about their properties. The main focus is on the experimental challenges and effort for their direct detection.     

Survey of patterns,levels, and trends of perfluorinated compounds in aquatic organisms and bird eggs from representative German ecosystems

Purpose  

Samples from the German Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB) covering particularly the years 1994–1996, 2000–2002, and 2006–2009 were analyzed for perfluorinated compounds (PFC; mainly C4–C13 carboxylic and sulfonic acids) to gain an overview on current PFC levels and patterns in marine, limnetic, and terrestrial biota; to assess their concentrations in different trophic levels; and to investigate whether risk management measures for PFC are successful.     

Kinship structure and mating system in a solitary subterranean rodent, the silvery mole-rat

The African mole-rats (Bathyergidae, Rodentia) are subterranean rodents that have evolved a wide range of social organisations varying from solitary to eusocial. Due to some unusual features of their breeding and social systems, much attention has been focused on social species, with solitary species being virtually ignored. Here, we present the first genetic study on the mating system of any solitary mole-rats, the silvery mole-rat (Heliophobius argenteocinereus) - a species which is assumed to be monogamous. Microsatellite markers were used to analyse the mating system and the kinship structure in populations in southern Malawi. Isolation by distance between individuals was apparent in two studied populations, but not in the third, probably, as a result of barriers limiting dispersal in the latter population. Polygyny was found to be a mating system in this population, where a strongly female-biased adult sex ratio was present. In this case, large distances between the burrow systems of mating partners exclude the possibility of belowground searching for mates, suggesting that the males might seek females aboveground. Interestingly, among analysed litters from various localities, one multiple-sired litter was found. Therefore, the results suggest that the mating system in potentially monogamous solitary subterranean rodents may be much more variable than expected and can differ among populations.