Inter-simple sequence repeat markers reveal strong genetic differentiation among populations of the endangered mollusc Patella ferruginea (Gastropoda: Patellidae) from two Sardinian marine protected areas

The giant Mediterranean limpet Patella ferruginea Gmelin, 1791 is an endangered marine gastropod, whose range has progressively shrinked to few, restricted areas, due to intense human exploitation. We have studied the genetic structure of the species, in order to (1) gather information about the levels of genetic variability within and between natural populations of P. ferruginea collected in two Sardinian marine protected areas (MPAs) (Penisola del Sinis—Isola di Mal di Ventre and Isola dell’ Asinara), and (2) make an attempt to find relationships between ecological and biological attributes of the species and the genetic differentiation of the populations studied. The genetic study was carried out by means of the analysis of ten inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) primers on a total of 40 individuals collected at four localities. Genetic analysis evidenced (1) medium to high levels of within-population genetic variability, (2) a pattern of genetic structuring that varied with spatial scales, and (3) a strong genetic differentiation between the two MPAs. Although preliminary, these results suggest that gene flow may be present only at very small geographic scale, raising concerns on the future of the conservation of the species.     

Denitrification of nitrate wastewater using packed-bed columns.

Columnar packed-bed (PB) reactors with a specific surface area of 127 m2/m3 were investigated in this study for treating nitrate wastewater. This study demonstrated that a single-stage packed bed was able to achieve total nitrogen (TN) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies higher than 83 and 75%, respectively. The highest achievable TN and COD removal rates were 47.2 g N/m2 x d and 158.0 g COD/m2 x d, respectively. The substrate removal rate in the PB column was found to follow half-order reaction kinetics, with a reaction coefficient, kappa, of 53.62 (mg/L)1/2/d. A dual-stage PB system was capable of achieving TN and COD removal efficiencies greater than 99 and 98%, respectively. Effluent TN and COD concentrations less than 6.5 mg NO3(-)-N/L and 50.0 mg COD/L, respectively, were obtained when the dual PB system was used.     

Effects of EDTA on solubility of cadmium, zinc, and lead and their uptake by rainbow pink and vetiver grass

Rainbow pink (Dianthus chinensis), a potential phytoextraction plant, can accumulate high concentrations of Cd from contaminated soils. Vetiver grass (Vetiver zizanioides) has strong and long root tissues and is a potential phytostabilization plant since it can tolerate and grow well in soils contaminated with multiple heavy metals. Soil was moderately artificially contaminated by cadmium (20 mg/kg), zinc (500 mg/kg), and lead (1000 mg/kg) in pot experiments. Three concentrations of Na2-EDTA solution (0, 5, and 10 mmol/kg soil) were added to the contaminated soils to study the influence of EDTA solution on phytoextraction by rainbow pink or phytostabilization by vetiver grass. The results showed that the concentrations of Cd, Zn, and Pb in a soil solution of rainbow pink significantly increased following the addition of EDTA (p < 0.05). The concentrations of Cd and Pb in the shoots of rainbow pink also significantly increased after EDTA solution was applied (p < 0.05), but the increase for Zn was insignificant. EDTA treatment significantly increased the total uptake of Pb in the shoot, over that obtained with the control treatment (p < 0.001), but it did not significantly increase the total uptake of Cd and Zn. The concentrations of Zn and Pb in the shoots of rainbow pink are significantly correlated with those in the soil solution, but no relationship exists with concentrations in vetiver grass. The toxicity of highly contaminating metals did not affect the growth of vetiver grass, which was found to grow very well in this study. Results of this study indicate that rainbow pink can be considered to be a potential phytoextraction plant for removing Cd or Zn from metal-contaminated soils, and that vetiver grass can be regarded as a potential phytostabilization plant that can be grown in a site contaminated with multiple heavy metals.     

Effect of formaldehyde on biofilm activity and morphology in an ultracompact biofilm reactor for carbonaceous wastewater treatment.

The effects of formaldehyde on biofilm morphology and biomass activity were investigated in an ultracompact biofilm reactor (UCBR) for carbonaceous wastewater treatment. The wastewater contained a fixed amount of glucose (with a chemical oxygen demand concentration of 600 mg/L) and an increasing concentration of formaldehyde (ranging from 21.4 to 271.1 mg/L). An influent formaldehyde concentration higher than 75 mg/L could facilitate filamentous growth (on biofilm) control and lead to a higher biofilm density, which is desirable as it enhanced the UCBR performance stability. However, at an influent formaldehyde concentration higher than 214.4 mg/L, biomass production was inhibited and deteriorations of biofilm morphology and biomass activity were observed. This study showed that it was desirable to maintain an influent formaldehyde concentration lower than 202.2 mg/L, as this concentration could achieve a good biofilm morphology while not inhibiting its microbial activity.     

Water-soluble aerosol and visibility degradation in Hong Kong during autumn and early winter, 1998.

During the October-December 1998 period, 30 daily samples of size-separated airborne respirable suspended particulates (RSP) were collected at the quasi-rural Kadoorie Agricultural Research Centre (KARC) in central New Territories (NT), Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region (SAR). Results of analysis indicate that sulphate is the predominant water-soluble species, and that sulphate, nitrate and ammonium together contribute to most of the total water-soluble fine aerosol mass. An interesting result obtained through principal component analysis (PCA) following varimax rotation of the bivariate correlation matrix for water-soluble species is that the first component (PCl) is made up exclusively of SO4 and NH4 ions. The stoichiometric ratio and correlation coefficient between the two ions suggest that ammoniated sulphate compounds are the probable species responsible for the PCI. Further, the use of a linear multivariate visibility model which accommodates the effect of relative humidity (RH) shows that SO4 and NH4 are the only anions important in visibility degradation. It is found that SO4 in aerosol at the KARC can be used to predict the visual range (or extinction coefficient) recorded from Kings Park, Kowloon, approximately 10 km away. This result suggests that SO4 (and possibly NH4) is, generally, likely to be of regional rather than of local origin. Further observations suggest that the model is most applicable to a moderate visual range, 10 km < R(v) < or = 20 km under a rather broad range of ambient relative humidity, 40% < RH < or = 80. However, this inference does not preclude the contributions to visibility degradation--mostly by absorption--by some of the water-insoluble aerosol constituents, including carbon, or the pollutant gas, NO2.     

Simultaneous removal of nitrogen oxide/nitrogen dioxide/sulfur dioxide from gas streams by combined plasma scrubbing technology

Oxides of nitrogen (NOx) [nitrogen oxide (NO) + nitrogen dioxide (NO2)] and sulfur dioxide (SO2) are removed individually in traditional air pollution control technologies. This study proposes a combined plasma scrubbing (CPS) system for simultaneous removal of SO2 and NOx. CPS consists of a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and wet scrubbing in series. DBD is used to generate nonthermal plasmas for converting NO to NO2. The water-soluble NO2 then can be removed by wet scrubbing accompanied with SO2 removal. In this work, CPS was tested with simulated exhausts in the laboratory and with diesel-generator exhausts in the field. Experimental results indicate that DBD is very efficient in converting NO to NO2. More than 90% removal of NO, NOx, and SO2 can be simultaneously achieved with CPS. Both sodium sulfide (Na2S) and sodium sulfite (Na2SO3) scrubbing solutions are good for NO2 and SO2 absorption. Energy efficiencies for NOx and SO2 removal are 17 and 18 g/kWh, respectively. The technical feasibility of CPS for simultaneous removal of NO, NO2, and SO2 from gas streams is successfully demonstrated in this study. However, production of carbon monoxide as a side-product (approximately 100 ppm) is found and should be considered.     

Influence of rice straw burning on the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in agricultural county, Taiwan

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农药污染对蚯蚓的群落结构与超微结构影响的研究

报道了农药污染对蚯蚓的群落结构与超微结构影响的研究,结果表明：随着农药污染程度增加,蚯蚓的种类和数量则减少。超微结构在扫描电镜下可观察到重污染区壮伟环毛蚓（Pheretimarobusta）胃粘膜出现溃疡灶,并产生穿孔现象;在中污染区只有微绒毛萎缩病变;在重污染区发现肠粘膜上的纤毛发生紊乱及萎缩,纤毛顶端膨大呈球形。对精子观察可见在中污染区就出现了畸形精子。在透射电镜下观察可见重污染区壮伟环毛蚓胃肠道粘膜上皮细胞中的粗面内质网（RER）出现扩张,高尔基复合体也产生扩张状,线粒体发生肿胀,线粒体嵴消失呈空泡状。另可见细胞核膜间隙扩张、断裂,核染色质边集或减少,胞质呈大片空白。蚯蚓以上病变指标均能很灵敏反映土壤农药污染程度。     

白洋淀沉积物耗氧速率及氧亏效应研究

沉积物耗氧是影响水体溶解氧平衡的重要因素,受到沉积物有机质矿化的影响.本文采用柱培养法测定了白洋淀不同水文地貌分区和生境类型的表层沉积物耗氧速率(sediment oxygen demand,SOD),并基于地表水质量标准评估了白洋淀沉积物耗氧对水体产生的氧亏效应,探讨了白洋淀SOD与有机质(OM)的关系.结果表明,白...     

茚虫威对斑马鱼的急性毒性及遗传毒性

茚虫威属噁二嗪类新型广谱高效杀虫剂,在农业生产中有着重要作用,近年来随着用量的增加,由此产生的对水生生物的影响越来越受到重视。使用斑马鱼进行茚虫威的急性毒性作用实验,并采用微核试验、彗星试验、Annexin V-FITC/PI双染色检测观察染毒后的斑马鱼是否被诱导产生遗传毒性。结果表明:在24 h、48 h、72 h、96 h,茚虫威LC50值分别为2.263mg·L-1、2.184 mg·L-1、2.184 mg·L-1、2.133 mg·L-1。茚虫威对斑马鱼急性毒性属中等毒性。96 h茚虫威浓度为1.98 mg·L-1和2.16 mg·L-1时,斑马鱼的微核率与对照组相比达差异极显著水平(P0.01)。采用彗星试验检测斑马鱼肝脏DNA损伤,结果显示斑马鱼暴露于高浓度1.98 mg·L-1和2.16 mg·L-1茚虫威后,与对照组相比,斑马鱼的DNA损伤均表现为极显著差异(P0.01)。采用Annexin V-FITC/PI双染色流式细胞仪法检测,结果表明染毒后24 h斑马鱼肝细胞出现细胞凋亡现象。实验结果进一步表明,茚虫威对斑马鱼短期染毒后诱导细胞凋亡,表现出遗传毒性。