Model testing using data on 137Cs from Chernobyl fallout in the Iput River catchment area of Russia

Data collected for 10 years following the Chernobyl accident in 1986 have provided a unique opportunity to test the reliability of computer models for contamination of terrestrial and aquatic environments. The Iput River scenario was used by the Dose Reconstruction Working Group of the BIOMASS (Biosphere Modelling and Assessment Methods) programme. The test area was one of the most highly contaminated areas in Russia following the accident, with an average contamination density of 137Cs of 800,000 Bq m-2 and localized contamination up to 1,500,000 Bq m-2, and a variety of countermeasures that were implemented in the test area had to be considered in the modelling exercise. Difficulties encountered during the exercise included averaging of data to account for uneven contamination of the test area, simulating the downward migration and changes in bioavailability of 137Cs in soil, and modelling the effectiveness of countermeasures. The accuracy of model predictions is dependent at least in part on the experience and judgment of the participant in interpretation of input information, selection of parameter values, and treatment of uncertainties.     

The acetochlor registration partnership: prospective ground water monitoring program

The Acetochlor Registration Partnership conducted a prospective ground water (PGW) monitoring program to investigate acetochlor [2-chloro-N-(ethoxymethyl)-N-(2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl)-acetamide] transport to ground water at eight sites. The distribution of soil textures among these sites was weighted toward coarser soil types, while also including finer-textured soils that dominate most corn (Zea mays L.)-growing areas of the United States. Each site consisted of a 1.2-ha test plot adjacent to a 0.2-ha control plot. Suction lysimeters and monitoring wells were installed at multiple depths within each test and control plot to sample soil-pore water and near-surface ground water. Irrigation was applied to each site during the growing season to ensure water input of 110 to 200% of average historical rainfall. Acetochlor dissipated rapidly from surface soils at all sites with a DT(50) (time for 50% of the initial residues to dissipate) of only 3 to 9 d, but leaching was not an important loss mechanism, with only 0.25% of the 15,312 soil-pore water and ground water samples analyzed containing parent acetochlor at or above 0.05 microg L(-1). However, quantifiable residues of a soil degradation product, acetochlor ethanesulfonic acid, were more common, with approximately 16% of water samples containing concentrations at or above 1.0 microg L(-1). A second soil degradation product, acetochlor oxanilic acid, was present at concentrations at or above 1.0 microg L(-1) in only 0.15% of water samples analyzed. The acetochlor PGW program demonstrated that acetochlor lacks the potential to leach to ground water at detectable concentrations, and when applied in accordance with label restrictions, is unlikely to move to ground water at concentrations hazardous to human health.     

Predictions of binary sorption isotherms for the sorption of heavy metals by pine bark using single isotherm data

The adsorption of three heavy metal ions by pine bark was studied. The study was divided into two parts; single component adsorption of the metals Cu2+, Cd2+ and Ni2+ and bisolute adsorption of the three binary systems Cu2+-Cd2+, Cu2+-Ni2+ and Cd2+-Ni2+. Extended Langmuir model, extended Freundlich model. Sips model and ideal adsorption solution theory (IAST) models were used to predict the equilibrium uptake for Cu2+, Cd2+ and Ni2+ in the binary diluted solutions using the single adsorption constants. The experimental data of single isotherm adsorption process were found to follow Langmuir isotherm model with less accuracy than Freundlich and Sips models. Whereas, the predictions of bisolute adsorption isotherms of the mentioned three systems, Cu2+-Cd2+, Cu2+-Ni2+ and Cd2+-Ni2+, showed good agreement with experimental data when using Extended-Langmuir, Extended-Freundlich and IAST. However, the only good fit of the Sips model was with the Cu2+-Cd2+ system.     

Microcalorimetric studies of the toxic action of La3+ in mitochondria isolated from Star-cross 288 chicken heart tissue cells

The thermogenic curves of the metabolism of mitochondria isolated from the heart of chicken Star-cross 288 and the effect of La3+ on it were studied by using an LKB-2277 BioActivity Monitor, ampoule method, at 37 degrees C. After isolation from the chicken heart tissue, mitochondria still have metabolic activity and can live for a long time by using the stored nutrients. From the thermogenic curves, we obtained the thermokinetic equations under different conditions. The kinetics show that La3+ has changed the metabolism completely.     

用甲基硫酸钠废渣制备二甲基硫醚

根据酯在碱性条件下水解反应生成醚的原理，研究了以甲基硫酸钠废渣为原料制备二甲基硫醚（DMS）的方法。在反应温度100℃、加水量100mL、搅拌时间30min、合成反应时间50min的最佳工艺条件下，制得的DMS产品纯度为99％，收率为83．59％。该法工艺简单，技术可行，操作稳定，既消除了环境污染，又能制备化工产品，具有明显的环境效益和经济效益。     

Performance of Trickle-Bed Air Biofilter: A Comparative Study of a Hydrophilic and a Hydrophobic Voc

Two lab-scale trickle-bed air biofilters were operated for investigating the difference in performance between a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic volatile organic compound (VOC). Methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) and styrene were selected as a model hydrophilic and hydrophobic VOCs, respectively. Effects of loading rates, biofilter re-acclimation, removal profile along biofilter depth, nitrogen consumption, and CO₂ production were compared under three operating conditions, namely, backwashing and two non-use periods (starvation and stagnant). Consistent over 99% removal efficiency up to loading rates of 3.26 kg COD/m³-day was obtained for the MIBK biofilter at 0.76 min empty bed retention time (EBRT) and 1.5 L/d nutrient flow. A similar performance for the styrene biofilter was obtained for loading rates up to 1.9kg COD/m³-day at 2.02 min EBRT and 2.4 L/d nutrient flow. The MIBK biofilter required only an initial acclimation period of 16 days while styrene biofilter required 46 days. Non-use periods can be used as another means of biomass control for both biofilters when the employed loading rate did not exceed 1.27 and 2.17 kg COD/m³-day for styrene and MIBK biofilters, respectively. The re-acclimation of both biofilter was delayed with increase of loading rate. MIBK biofilter re-acclimated in 90 min, while styrene biofilter re-acclimated in more than 600 min. Under similar loading rates, MIBK biofilter utilized less biofilter depth than styrene biofilter. Nitrogen consumption behaviors were apparently different between the two biofilters. Styrene biofilter had higher CO₂ production than MIBK biofilter and its CO₂ production was closely related to the theoretical complete chemical oxidation.     

Chirality determines pheromone activity for flour beetles

Olfactory perception and orientation behaviour of female and male flour beetles (Tribolium castaneum, T. confusum) to single stereoisomers of their aggregation pheromone revealed maximal receptor potentials and optimal attraction in response to 4R,8R-(?)-dimethyldecanal, whereas its optical antipode 4S,8S-(+)-dimethyldecanal was found to be inactive in this respect. Female flour beetles of both species were ≈ 10³ times less attracted to 4R,8S-(+)- and 4S,8R-(?)-dimethyldecanal than to 4R,8R-(?)-dimethyldecanal, while male flour beetles failed to respond to the R,S-(+)- and S,R-(?)-stereoisomers. Pheromone extracts of prothoracic femora from unmated male flour beetles elicited higher receptor potentials in the antennae of females than in those of males. The results suggest that the aggregation pheromone emitted by maleT. castaneum as well as maleT. confusum has the stereochemical structure of 4R,8R-(?)-dimethyl-decanal, which acts as sex attractant for the females and as aggregant for the males of both species.     

Do pronghorn mothers reveal the locations of their hidden fawns?

Summary Success of the hider strategy in ungulates depends, in part, on the mother's ability to minimize information she transmits about her young's hiding place while remaining close enough to distract or drive away a predator. We predicted that pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) mothers should: (1) maintain minimum distances from their hidden fawns sufficient to cause the expected energy gain for a ground predator, systematically searching around the mother, to fall below that expected when searching for some other prey; (2) orient the axes of either head or trunk towald the hidden fawn no more frequently than would be expected by chance; (3) schedule behavior so that no activity is more likely than another to occur when a visit to the hidden fawn is imminent. At the National Bison Range, where coyote (Canis latrans) predation on pronghorn fawns is frequent, pronghorn mothers conform to predictions (1) and (3), but not (2). Within the first 10% of their time away from fawns, mothers reached an average distance of 70.4 m from their fawns' biding places and remained at that distance until 95% of their time away was clapsed. At this mother-fawn distance a coyote, using the mother's position to begin a systematic search for the fawn, and searching at a rate of 4 m²/s, would gain energy at a lower rate than it would hunting ground squirrels (Spermophilus columbianus). Mothers pointed both head and trunk toward their hidden fawns more frequently than would be expected by chance and coyotes, able to use this information to establish a 90° quadrant to search, could expect rates of gain higher than those obtainable in 360° search. Mothers especially tended to orient both head and trunk toward their fawns when standing or moving. Coyotes that begin a 90° search based on the mother's head or trunk position only when mothers were standing or moving, could expect rates of energy gain almost double those expected in 360° search or ground squirrel hunting. Maternal activities (stand, feed, recline, or move) were distributed evenly across all mother-fawn distances and across percent total time away from the fawn. Thus, activity was not a good predictor of a mother's likelihood of soon returning to her fawn. Mothers also remained away from their fawns long enough to cause the expected rate of energy gain for a coyote hiding and watching for the mother's return to the fawn to fall well below the rate expected for searching or ground squirrel hunting.     

In pursuit of proper contexts for sustainability in rural Africa

Summary Sustainable development is high on development analysts' agendas as people seek viable alternatives to current development concepts. These latter approaches have not satisfied people's livelihoods especially in developing countries. This paper suggests that the promotion of sustainable development must correctly identify the contexts within which it is to be pursued. It is essential to note that this is best done if people recognize that as a complex concept, sustainable development has several dimensions, including the resource base of a country/community/society; external factors impacting on it; internal factors at play within; population factors and political economic factors.For rural Africa, the context is one of small community and kinship based production groups largely dependent on their local environments for survival. It is essential to identify endogenous factors such as local knowledge bases, common property arrangements, other local social institutions and local environmental practices and to base sustainability strategies on these.There is growing awareness of the efficacy of these local indigenous systems but constraints to their promotion as a valuable resource are also significant. There is room for being hopeful that rural Africa might sustain itself if recognition of the correct contexts is sought.Mr Joseph Z.Z. Matowanyika obtained his Bachelor's and Master's Degrees respectively at the Universities of Reading and Nottingham, in the UK. He is currently undertaking research in the Department of Geography of the University of Waterloo for a Doctor of Philosophy.