Benthic foraminifera from polluted marine environment of Sulaibikhat Bay (Kuwait)

Quantitative analyses of recent benthic foraminiferal assemblages (living and dead) were carried out on the surface sediments of Sulaibikhat Bay. Marked contrast in foraminiferal assemblages between the shallow tidal mudflats and the deep tidal channel and their relation to the extent of pollution were observed. Cluster analysis of quantitative data on the distribution of foraminiferal tests revealed three assemblages that depend mainly on the intensity of pollution; (1) a highly polluted tidal flat assemblage, (2) normal (or less polluted) mud flat assemblage and, (3) tidal channel and subtidal assemblage. The highly polluted assemblage characterized by a drop in species densities (< 100 tests/20 cm(3) sediment) but with high average diversity (5.8 Yule-Simpson Index). The microfauna of the less polluted flat displays relatively lower diversity (4.6) but high density of tests (47.2% of the total picked tests). The most abundant species of this assemblage is Ammonia tepida, displays its maximum density in this assemblage. Ammonia tepida drops in density from 17.12% to 3.07% in the polluted assemblage. Tidal channel foraminiferal assemblages should normally display lower diversities than those of tidal flats, because tidal current in the channels tend to wash away most nutrient materials. However, this is not the case of the present study area which could be due to environmental setting of the Sulaibikhat Bay in which tidal currents bring in exceptionally high amounts of nutrients from Shatt Al-Arab Estuary and in which the tidal flats are strongly and adversely polluted.     

赣江流域浮游植物群落结构与功能类群划分

2009~2010年3次对赣江流域浮游植物群落特征进行淡水生态学调查,鉴定出包括绿藻门、硅藻门、蓝藻门、裸藻门、甲藻门、隐藻门、黄藻门及金藻门在内的浮游植物共8门109属312种(包括变种、变型)。硅藻门和绿藻门无论是在物种数还是在种群密度上均为赣江流域的优势类群。对所鉴定出的种类按功能类群划分,共划分出功能类群32个,以此建立赣江流域浮游植物功能类群特征表(基于生境、耐受性和敏感性)。本研究首次在国内大型河流中开展浮游植物功能类群的划分,划分结果显示赣江流域浮游植物种数和密度占优势的功能类群,多适宜生活在中营养-富营养化水体,这反映出赣江水体环境已经受到了一定程度的人为干扰,水体呈现富营养化趋势。功能类群划分是理解浮游植物群落的重要工具,但是使用该方法必须检查物种的分类是否符合该生物体的个体生态特征     

Selenium geochemistry of paddy soils in Yangtze River Delta

Selenium (Se) content both in total and bioavailable forms were very low (25-35 and 9.5 micrograms/kg, respectively) in waterlogged paddy soils in the central Yangtze River Delta. This was due to changes in geochemistry and the inherent properties of the parent materials of these lowland paddy soils. The very low Se content (23 micrograms/kg) in the parent material resulted in low total Se content in the soil. The main chemical changes under long-term waterlogged conditions are depletion of molecular oxygen, decrease of redox potential, and reduction of Fe (III) to Fe (II) and SeO3(2-) to Se0. This led to low availability of Se in soils, and subsequently low Se content (29 micrograms/kg) in brown rice grain produced in this region. It has been suspected that low Se content in staple food might be one of the major reasons for a high infection rate of the intestine and stomach cancers and the higher death rate caused by these diseases in the region. Foliage spray of Na2SeO3 at early heading stage of rice plant growth improved the Se content of brown rice grain, hull, and straw, and would improve human and animal health.     

Comparison of different methods for uranium determination in water

Photometry, laser photometry, liquid scintillation (LSC), gamma spectrometry and alpha spectrometry were used for estimating waterborne uranium concentration. The chemical procedures applied were pre-concentration, liquid extraction, chromatographic resin extraction and precipitation. Our results show that laser photometry is an easy and accurate method capable of estimating low uranium concentrations, parts of micrograms per litre. It is not applicable for higher concentrations, difficult water matrixes and isotope determination. The classical photometry is complementary, resolving the problem related to high concentrations, practically up to 10 mg/l. Alpha and gamma spectrometry resolve the problem of precise isotope determination, but with the disadvantage of hard chemical preparation and long measurement times. An intermediate method is LSC, with the problem of isotope estimation, due to poor energy resolution.     

基于土地利用变化的生态服务价值损益估算——以岷江上游地区为例

为了定量分析和比较区域生态服务功能及其价值变化,运用中国生态系统服务价值当量因子表和岷江上游流域单位面积农田生态系统提供的食物生产服务的经济价值,以及分析1986、1995和2000年三期TM遥感影像所得到的土地利用情况,对岷江上游地区不同年代的生态服务价值变化进行了估算和比较。并初步分析了生态服务价值变化的原因。1986~1995年,农田面积增加了60 801 hm2,比1986年增长了477%。林地面积减少了89 01217 hm2,占原来面积的497%。总的生态服务价值从1986年到2000年减少了1199×108元。主要是由于人口的增加和森林的砍伐,导致森林面积减少,转变为草地、农田等土地利用类型。通过1995年和2000年对比得出：自从1998年实施“天然林保护工程”政策以来,到2000年森林生态系统面积与1995年相差约4 16528 hm2,生态服务价值相差约79亿元,可见国家政策在保护生态系统服务功能上虽起到了一定的作用,但与1986年相比还相差甚远,天然林保护工程任重而道远。     

Population development of the invader ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi, in the Black Sea and in other seas of the Mediterranean basin

In the last two decades of the twentieth century, the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi (A. Agassiz) has invaded the Black, Azov, Marmara and Aegean Seas, and, recently, the Caspian Sea. Here, we compare its spatial and temporal distribution, seasonal dynamics and the time and duration of reproduction. We also discuss factors that control its abundance throughout its invasive range and its effect on ecosystems. Observations are based on the long-term field data collected by three research institutes. An analysis of the effects of temperature, salinity, prey (zoo- and ichthyoplankton) availability and predation (by ctenophores of the genus Beroe) on M. leidyi population size, and the effects of M. leidyi on zoo- and ichthyoplankton, and on fish populations in the Black and Azov Seas is also provided. With the Black Sea current, M. leidyi spreads to the upper layers of the Sea of Marmara, where it now occurs around the year. At regular intervals, the Black Sea current also takes it to the northern Aegean Sea. In contrast, it has to re-invade the Sea of Azov every spring or summer, dying out during winter when the temperature drops below 4°C. The warm summer and mild winter temperatures, relatively low salinity and abundance of prey in the Black Sea are close to optimal for M. leidyi, while they are suboptimal in the northern Aegean Sea, where salinity and temperature are often too high. In the Black Sea the absence of gelatinous and other predators led to an enormous ctenophore abundance for a decade, but with the appearance of Beroe ovata in 1999, M. leidyi abundance greatly decreased. Analysis of seasonal dynamics of M. leidyi in the Black Sea and in other seas of the Mediterranean basin indicates similarities in the timing of maximum abundance and biomass, in spite of some differences in the initiation and duration of reproduction. A peak biomass and density occurred in 1989 in the Black and Azov Seas and in 1990 in the other seas. The M. leidyi invasion negatively affected the ecosystems of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. The zooplankton, ichthyoplankton and zooplanktivorous fish stocks all underwent profound changes. Similar effects, but less pronounced, were recorded in the Sea of Marmara. Effects on Mediterranean food chains have, so far, remained insignificant. Salinity is probably supraoptimal here, and several predators prevent M. leidyi from reaching outbreak levels.     

用幼苗法指示污泥和土壤中重金属的植物有效性

利用小麦幼苗与黑麦幼苗研究了污泥和土壤中重金属的植物有效性,并对二者进行了比较。结果表明, 在两种污灌区土壤、四种污泥以及一种污泥施用于两种清洁土壤中,黑麦和小麦测定的Cd,Pb,Cu,Zn,Ni五种重金属有效性的顺序,以及有效性大小的数量级上是一致的;除了在污泥中,二者的茎Pb,Ni及根Zn相关不显著,以及在Lou土中施用污泥后,两种植物各部位相关不好外,在污泥及污泥施于赤红壤各处理中黑麦与小麦相关均匀为极显著。上述结果表明,应用小麦幼苗可以替代黑麦幼苗指标土壤中重金属的植物有效性,但同时也应考虑不同植物间的差异。     

短小芽孢杆菌A—30耐碱性木聚糖酶基因的分子生物学研究

采用PCR方法对短小芽孢杆菌A－30菌株的耐碱性木聚糖酶基因进行克隆。在木聚糖选择平板上用刚果红染色法筛选出阳性克隆,提取阳性克隆的重组质粒进行酶切鉴定和测序。该基因在大肠杆菌中表达,过夜培养物胞外、胞内和周质空间的木聚糖酶酶活分别为0．159IUmL^-1、0.322IUmL^-1和0.007IUmL^-1。此木聚糖酶表现出较宽的pH作用范围,最适作用pH7左右,在pH9时仍有60％以上的酶活性。图4参14     

Life cycle assessment of disposal of residues from municipal solid waste incineration: recycling of bottom ash in road construction or landfilling in Denmark evaluated in the ROAD-RES model

Two disposal methods for MSWI bottom ash were assessed in a new life cycle assessment (LCA) model for road construction and disposal of residues. The two scenarios evaluated in the model were: (i) landfilling of bottom ash in a coastal landfill in Denmark and (ii) recycling of bottom ash as subbase layer in an asphalted secondary road. The LCA included resource and energy consumption, and emissions associated with upgrading of bottom ash, transport, landfilling processes, incorporation of bottom ash in road, substitution of natural gravel as road construction material and leaching of heavy metals and salts from bottom ash in road as well as in landfill. Environmental impacts associated with emissions to air, fresh surface water, marine surface water, groundwater and soil were aggregated into 12 environmental impact categories: Global Warming, Photochemical Ozone Formation, Nutrient Enrichment, Acidification, Stratospheric Ozone Depletion, Human Toxicity via air/water/soil, Ecotoxicity in water/soil, and a new impact category, Stored Ecotoxicity to water/soil that accounts for the presence of heavy metals and very persistent organic compounds that in the long-term might leach. Leaching of heavy metals and salts from bottom ash was estimated from a series of laboratory leaching tests. For both scenarios, Ecotoxicity(water) was, when evaluated for the first 100 yr, the most important among the twelve impact categories involved in the assessment. Human Toxicity(soil) was also important, especially for the Road scenario. When the long-term leaching of heavy metals from bottom ash was evaluated, based on the total content of heavy metals in bottom ash, all impact categories became negligible compared to the potential Stored Ecotoxicity, which was two orders of magnitudes greater than Ecotoxicity(water). Copper was the constituent that gave the strongest contributions to the ecotoxicities. The most important resources consumed were clay as liner in landfill and the groundwater resource which was potentially spoiled due to leaching of salts from bottom ash in road. The difference in environmental impacts between landfilling and utilization of bottom ash in road was marginal when these alternatives were assessed in a life cycle perspective.     

Temporal variations of airborne particles concentration in the Brussels environment

We report and analyze data on the PM10 fraction of airborne particles measured at five recording stations in the Brussels region from October 2002 till September 2003. These stations are representative of the various activity sectors of the Brussels urban area. The objective was the determination of the origin of the PM10 particles (particles up to 10 μm) that are recorded in that region in order to follow the EU directives concerning tolerance level of airborne particles concentration. In order to evaluate the impacts of local and external factors that inject solid particles in the atmosphere of Brussels we compared concentration data from working and not working (holidays) periods. Moreover, we also compared concentrations from periods of agricultural activity and rest in the Brabant provinces surrounding the Brussels region for various crop types. The results lead to the conclusion that the impact or urban traffic is rather limited while that of the agricultural activities is important. Moreover, there appears a clear-cut distinction between different types of crops.