几种络合态铜对彩虹方头鱼的生物有效性

通过暴露实验和化学形态计算方法研究了彩虹方头鱼(Ｐａｒａｃｈｅｉｒｏｄｏｎｉｎｎｅｓｉ)对四种铜络合物的吸收．结果表明,络合态铜可被彩虹方头鱼吸收,但对络合态铜的吸收率显著低于对非络合态铜的吸收率,在其它形态铜含量基本恒定的条件下,铜吸收量随络合态铜含量的增加而呈线性增加趋势．不同络合态铜的有效性也有显著差别,条件稳定常数越高,则越不容易被吸收．由于铜暴露导致的粘液分泌量的变化从另一侧面证实了络合态铜的可吸收性．     

虎纹蛙（RANA RUGULOSA）视网膜结构与环境适应性的研究

在光镜和电镜下观察了虎纹蛙（Rana rugulosa)视多膜的组织结构,着重探讨了色素细胞和视细胞的形态结构。视网膜中三个核层及两个网状层分布均匀,无中央凹。色素细胞内含有大量的脂滴、色素颗粒、髓样体和形状各异的溶酶体等。视细胞由视杆细胞和视锥细胞组成,视杆细胞占多数。在视网膜中央区,视杆细胞数与视锥细胞数之比为1：1;在周缘区,两者数量之比为3：1,视杆细胞外段呈高柱状,体积远远大于视锥细胞外段,肌样体内有大量的微管。视锥细胞外段呈矮锥形,椭圆体内有一球状小体。视细胞与节细胞数量之比为3．68：1。结果表明,虎纹蛙视网膜结构特征与其生活于田间、山涧等弱光环境和捕食习性是相适应的。图版1（图1－图10）表2参14     

江苏-南黄海地区断裂带附近的小震活动与主震的关系

通过对 1 970年以来 ,江苏南黄海地区的 9次ML>5 4中强地震发生前的中小震活动分析 ,发现该地区ML>5 4中强地震 (本文称为主震 )发生前 2～ 3年内均有一系列ML3 0左右中小地震发生 ,而且这些中小地震的空间分布与主震在同一断裂带上。根据断裂带上的中小震活动情况 ,运用地震活动性的有关分析方法 ,对未来地震进行外推 ,并进行检验。得出 ,可以将断裂带附近发生的一些ML3 0左右的小震 ,视为该断裂带上将要发生的主震     

A new intelligent electronic nose system for measuring and analysing livestock and poultry farm odours

This paper introduces a new portable intelligent electronic nose system developed especially for measuring and analysing livestock and poultry farm odours. It can be used in both laboratory and field. The sensor array of the proposed electronic nose consists of 14 gas sensors, a humidity sensor, and a temperature sensor. The gas sensors were especially selected for the main compounds from the livestock farm odours. An expert system called “Odour Expert” was developed to support researchers’ and farmers’ decision making on odour control strategies for livestock and poultry operations. “Odour Expert” utilises several advanced artificial intelligence technologies tailored to livestock and poultry farm odours. It can provide more advanced odour analysis than existing commercially available products. In addition, a rank of odour generation factors is provided, which refines the focus of odour control research. Field experiments were conducted downwind from the barns on 14 livestock and poultry farms. Experimental results show that the predicted odour strengths by the electronic nose yield higher consistency in comparison to the perceived odour intensity by human panel. The “Odour Expert” is a useful tool for assisting farmers’ odour management practises. Supported by Ontario Pork, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food (OMAF) of Canada.     

Rapid determination of ETS markers with a prototype field-portable GC employing a microsensor array detector

The adaptation of a portable gas chromatograph (GC) prototype with several unique design features to the determination of vapor-phase markers of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is described. This instrument employs a dual-stage adsorbent preconcentrator, two series-coupled separation columns that can be independently temperature programmed, and a detector consisting of an array of nanoparticle-coated chemiresistors, whose response patterns are used together with retention times for vapor recognition. An adsorbent pre-trap was developed to remove semi-volatile organics from the sample stream. Conditions were established to quantitatively capture two ETS markers, 2,5-dimethylfuran (2,5-DMF) and 4-ethenylpyridine (4-EP, as a surrogate for 3-EP), and to separate them from the 34 most prominent co-contaminants present in ETS using ambient air as the carrier gas. A complete analysis can be performed every 15 min. Projected detection limits are 0.58 and 0.08 ppb for 2,5-DMF and 4-EP, respectively, assuming a 1 L sample volume, which are sufficiently low to determine these markers in typical smoking-permitted environments.     

Metal release from stainless steel particles in vitro-influence of particle size

Human inhalation of airborne metallic particles is important for health risk assessment. To study interactions between metallic particles and the human body, metal release measurements of stainless steel powder particles were performed in two synthetic biological media simulating lung-like environments. Particle size and media strongly influence the metal release process. The release rate of Fe is enhanced compared with Cr and Ni. In artificial lysosomal fluid (ALF, pH 4.5), the accumulated amounts of released metal per particle loading increase drastically with decreasing particle size. The release rate of Fe per unit surface area increases with decreasing particle size. Compared with massive sheet metal, fine powder particles (<4 microm) show similar release rates of Cr and Ni, but a higher release rate of Fe. Release rates in Gamble's solution (pH 7.4), for all powders investigated, are significantly lower compared to ALF. No clear trend is seen related to particle size in Gamble's solution.     

Concentrations of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in fish and shrimp in Jiangsu Province, China

Pentachlorophenol (PCP) concentrations were determined in 55 samples of fish, shrimp, crabs, frogs and turtles collected in Jiangsu Province and 55 freshwater shrimp samples collected from the Huiming Fish Market, Nanjing, China between 2003 and 2004. PCP concentrations ranged from less than the method detection limit (MDL: 0.5 microg/kg ww) to 61 microg/kg ww, with a mean of 5.2 microg/kg ww in 55 samples collected across Jiangsu Province and a mean of 0.5 microg/kg ww for freshwater shrimp collected from the Huiming Fish Market. Concentrations of PCP in common carp (Carassius auratus) were significantly greater than concentrations of PCP in other species from all of the areas studied. Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) contained the second greatest concentrations and crustacean species contained the least concentrations. Concentrations of PCP were greater in samples collected from Southern Jiangsu than those collected from other areas of Jiangsu Province. Concentrations of PCP in the freshwater shrimp (Macrobrachium nipponense) from the Huiming Fish Market were greater in March and September than those collected in June and December. Based on the allowable daily intake (ADI) set by the US National Academy of Science, current concentrations of PCP measured in aquatic products from Jiangsu Province presented minimus health risks to humans.     

Investigating interactions of phenanthrene with dissolved organic matter: limitations of Stern-Volmer plot

Although linear binding isotherms of hydrophobic organic chemicals (HOCs) with dissolved organic matter (DOM) are widely reported, several studies showed nonlinear HOC-DOM interactions. This study pointed out that fluorescence static quenching modeling (FSQM), which often uses a Stern-Volmer type plot to process the data from fluorescence quenching experiments, is conceptually different from the classic Stern-Volmer equation. We also emphasized that although linear Stern-Volmer plots are generally observed in literature, it does not necessarily indicate a linear HOC-DOM interaction. According to both mathematical simulation and laboratory sorption experiments in this study, nonlinear interactions could be concealed by the use of Stern-Volmer plot. Moreover, this study tested the two assumptions for applying FSQM to process binding data. Our results showed that binding coefficient (K(DOC)) for phenanthrene is neither independent of free solute concentration, nor DOM concentration, which is a critical limitation for using FSQM in a form of Stern-Volmer equation to examine HOC-DOM interactions. Therefore, the true characteristics of HOC-DOM interactions need to be examined using different ways of experimental design and data processing.     

Assessment of the relative toxicity of Cu2+ by measuring structural changes of supercoiled DNA

A method for the measurement of the relative toxicity of Cu2+ in aquatic environments is proposed. It is based on the quantitative measurement on the shape change of the supercoiled DNA after it is contacted with different levels of Cu2+ for various time intervals. In the absence of any redox reagents, all supercoiled DNA degraded into other forms of DNA after 24h incubation in the presence of 5.13 x 10(-3), 5.08 x 10(-4) and 5.35 x 10(-5)mol/L Cu2+. At a lower Cu2+ concentration (10(-6)mol/L), 44% of supercoiled DNA retained its original supercoiled form after 24 h, and 29% after 48 h. The concentration of RC50, i.e. concentration of pollutants at which 50% of the supercoiled DNA was relaxed compared to control samples, can be obtained from the does-response curves at different exposure time, which may provide a rapid and convenient approach to assess the relative toxicity of environmental pollutants.     

Relationship between carbon dioxide/methane emissions and the water quality/sediment characteristics of Taiwan's main rivers

River and sediment have unique carbon dynamics and are important sources of the dominant greenhouse gases (GHG), carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). To understand the relationship between CO2/CH4 emissions and water quality/sediment characteristics, we have investigated critical parameters in the river water. Eight parameters of water quality (dissolved oxygen, oxidation-reduction potential [ORP], chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand [BOD5], suspended solid, nitrate [NO3-], NH4+, and bacteria) and four sediment characteristics (total organic carbon [TOC], total nitrogen [T-N], NO3-, and ammonium [NH4+]) were measured in two of the larger rivers in Taiwan, and relevant environmental conditions were recorded. The experimental results indicated that CO2 emissions from the river were mainly affected by BOD5 concentrations and the levels of bacteria. CH4 emissions, on the other hand, were greatly affected by the ORP in the river. The correlation between CO2 emissions and sediment characteristics was insignificant (R2 < 0.3). However, TOC and T-N in the sediment may lead to increases in CH4 emissions into the atmosphere. A deeper analysis of the relationship between the different parameters and GHG emissions by ANOVA and the multiple regression method revealed that CO2 emission (y) was significantly related to bacteria number (x1) and BOD concentration (X2). The regression equation takes the form y = 0.00032x1 + 3.18089x2 + 25.37304. Also, the regression relationship between CH4 emission (y) and ORP (x) in the river can be described as y = -0.825216x + 169.02257. The relationship between CH4 emission and sediment characteristics may be described as y = 5.073962x1(TOC) + 2.871245x2(T-N) - 12.3262. Extra sampling data were collected to examine the feasibility of the developed multiple regression equations. The experimental results suggest that the emissions of such GHGs as CO2 and CH4 from rivers can be predicted using the regression equations developed here. Moreover, the emissions may be reduced by manipulating the proper factors.