土地利用和理化环境对莫比尔-亚拉巴马河系中水甲基汞含量的影响

最近我们对美国东南部地区许多水域系统肉食性鱼类身上可能造成健康危险的超标汞(Hg)含量进行了测量.根据从出版的有关汞的水地球化学的实验数据得出的假设,我们调查了某些自然和人为的条件对莫尔比-亚拉巴马河系(MARS)中现场甲基汞(MeHg)含量的影响.从不同类型的环境采集了水样,假设这些水样具有不同的水甲基汞含量,并分析了总汞(THg)和甲基汞浓度以及一些主要的地球化学参数.结果如下:①总的来说,莫比尔-亚拉巴马河系水域中的总汞浓度分布相当均匀,从0.2ng/L到6ng/L不等,表明除了地质来源外,大气沉降肯定是所研究的水系中汞输入的主要来源.②在具有可比较的总汞含量的地点,以甲基汞形式存在的汞部分在从莫比尔-亚拉巴马河系的沿岸平原部分采集的样品中的含量始终比从其他地质区域采集的样品中的高.③我们的现场观测证实了从实验室试验获得的结论,即:甲基汞在水域系统中的丰度与硫酸盐(但只是在较窄的浓度范围内)有关,以及与pH的减少相关,而与硝酸盐或磷酸盐均无直接的关系.④对单一场所生物区中汞的累积的调查表明,在总汞浓度较低但甲基汞/总汞之比较高的水域系统中,生物的汞含量可能超出安全界限.因此,即使水相没有显示出有汞严重富集的迹象,也可能存在对食鱼人群的潜在健康威胁.     

北大西洋区域的环境变化:SCANNET作为记载、认识和预测变化的合作途径

北大西洋周边区域(SCANNET区域)涵盖了广泛的气候区、自然环境和可用自然资源范围.除了最北部地区,至少自最后一次冰期结束以来,这里就有人和多种文化存在.然而,该区在大的地理尺度上也是非常重要的,因为它影响着全球气候并支撑着在北极地区和世界其它大陆之间迁徙的动物.这一区域的气候、环境和土地利用正在发生急剧变化,预测显示,全球变暖在这里的表现会更强,而土地利用的增加会使剩余的野地急剧减少.因为本区大部分地方人口稀疏(如果有人居住的话),过去环境变化及其影响方面的观测记录也都是很少而且时段很短的.然而,记录现在正在进行的变化、认识这些变化的驱动力和预测这些变化的后果变得非常重要了.为了促进认识全球变化对北大西洋区域陆地的影响的研究,同时也为了实时监测这种变化,2000年欧共体资助成立了一个研究站点网络及其下设机构,命名为SCANNET--斯堪的纳维亚(半岛)(瑞典、挪威、丹麦、冰岛的泛称)/北欧陆地野外基础网络.SCANNET目前包括9个核心站及当地网络里面的5个站,它们一起覆盖了该区当前气候和预测的变化的广泛区域.气候指标在网络内部是共同的,而每个站点都选择特殊的环境和生态主题进行精细观测.这既保证了主题覆盖面的多样性又保证了专门技术的多样性.我们总结了SCANNET到目前为止的发现,并概述其资料基础,以增加对北大西洋环境变化数据的了解.同时我们也总结我们在理解方面的重要缺陷以及SCANNET已经存在机构和行动在促进今后的研究、监测和野外实证行动方面的作用.     

Repeated hydrogen peroxide dosing briefly reduces cyanobacterial blooms and microcystin while increasing fecal bacteria indicators in a eutrophic pond

This study explored the effects of H₂O₂ on Cyanobacteria and non-target microbes using fluorometry, microscopy, flow cytometry, and high throughput DNA sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene during a series of mesocosm and whole-ecosystem experiments in a eutrophic pond in NY, USA. The addition of H₂O₂ (8 mg/L) significantly reduced Cyanobacteria concentrations during a majority of experiments (66%; 6 of 9) and significantly increased eukaryotic green and unicellular brown algae in 78% and 45% of experiments, respectively. While heterotrophic bacteria declined significantly following H₂O₂ addition in all experiments, bacteria indicative of potential fecal contamination (Escherichia coli, Enterococcus, fecal coliform bacteria) consistently and significantly increased in response to H₂O₂, evidencing a form of ‘pollution swapping’. H₂O₂ more effectively reduced Cyanobacteria in enclosed mesocosms compared to whole-ecosystem applications. Ten whole-pond H₂O₂ applications over a two-year period temporarily reduced cyanobacterial levels but never reduced concentrations below bloom thresholds and populations always rebounded in two weeks or less. The bacterial phyla of Cyanobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Planctomycetes were the most negatively impacted by H₂O₂. Microcystis was always reduced by H₂O₂, as was the toxin microcystin, but Microcystis remained dominant even after repeated H₂O₂ treatments. Although H₂O₂ favored the growth of eukaryotic algae over potentially harmful Cyanobacteria, the inability of H₂O₂ to end cyanobacterial blooms in this eutrophic waterbody suggests it is a non-ideal mitigation approach in high biomass ecosystems and should be used judiciously due to potential negative impacts on non-target organisms and promotion of bacteria indicative of fecal contamination.     

石英柯石英的相变及其在活塞-圆筒装配上用滑石-铝硅镁-玻璃(TAG)和NaCl做高压腔体的比较摩擦测量的讨论

<正> Akella(1979)通过石英柯石英在800℃和1000℃下相变的再研究,对活塞圆筒装置上固体传压介质TAG和NaCl腔体进行了比较。虽然Akella提供的资料和前人的结果在总体上似乎符合得很好,但仔细分析便发现,他们既没有更精确地标出石英-柯石英的相界,在讨论固体传压介质高压腔体的摩擦问题上,也没有取得真正的进展。特别对后一个问题,进行更详细的讨论似乎是应当的,因为Akella所提出的有关摩擦的观点,看来还缺乏足够的实验证据。这种观点应用到NaCl腔体上尤其如此,所得出的结论比新见解带来更大的混乱。     

宾夕法尼亚泥盆系卡茨基尔组砂岩型铀矿床附近古含水层中的铀异常

<正> 过去研究砂岩型铀矿床时很少考察或研究矿体外围铀异常的范围和性质,然而在寻找附属矿床时,由矿体和异常晕带所组成的一个较大的目标区可能是很有帮助的。另外,航空放射性测量和分散流地球化学异常的范围都取决于矿体内外的铀分布。根据对砂岩型矿床附近沉积物中铀的区域异常研究的部分结果,我们获得了明显的印象:怀俄明卷型铀矿床的铀所通过的古含水层具有明显的铀异常。另外,还获得了背景样品的一大套数据,从而可以了解铀、钍和主要元素之间的关系,这对于研究沉积岩中的铀和识别岩石样品的弱异常具有普遍的实用价值。     

1981年粘土矿物概况

<正> 1981年召开的两次重要会议恰当地叙述了粘土矿物学的最近进展。由 F.Veniale 组织的第七届国际粘土会议于9月6—12日先后在意大利的波伦亚、米兰和帕维亚召开,这次会议是由国际粘土研究协会发起的;粘土矿物学会的第18次年会于10月4—8日在美国伊利诺斯大学召开,这次会议是由 J.Hower 和 D.L.Graf 组织的。     

亚利桑那州富含 K_2O 的火山岩的分布:皮卡乔峰滑脱断层上的交代作用

<正> 前言亚利桑那州火山岩的K_2O含量高达12—13(重量)%,这些火山岩被称为粗安岩、超钾质粗面岩和碳酸岩、高钾粗面岩和粗面岩,Sh-afiqullah等将它们作了相互间的对比。然而,这些岩石的原始化学组成已经发生了实质性的改变,并提出采用“交代岩”这个术语。相对于高钾火山岩而言,这些蚀变岩石的K_2O含量     

必须重视生物成因的石油

<正> 目前流行的热成熟理论认为,温度低于约200°F(一般需要埋藏深度约为10000英尺),就不能生成大量石油(能生成、被捕集和用作燃料或原料的石油和/或天然气)。相反,物理地质的证据常常表明,石油是在它目前分布的垂向(地层上)几百英尺内及大大低于和浅于热成熟理论认为的温度和深度下生成的。而     

A Bayesian assessment of the effect of highway bypasses in Iowa on crashes and crash rate

Introduction

A common contention is that the construction of highway bypasses negatively impacts the economy of local communities by reducing pass-by traffic for businesses. However, as access to specific business' account records is limited, this impact is difficult to quantify. Another common contention is that bypasses contribute to a reduction in overall crashes in the community and in the surrounding areas. Even though a large number of bypasses have been constructed in the State of Iowa over the past several years, their actual impact in terms of traffic safety has not been quantified.

Objectives

This study seeks answers to the following questions: (a) Are bypasses in Iowa associated with a reduction in crash frequencies and crash rates on the bypassed highway? (b) Do bypasses in Iowa introduce a reduction of overall crash frequencies and rates or do they merely shift crashes from the highways through the communities to the bypasses with no significant overall reduction?

Method

We obtained crash information from the Iowa DOT at 19 sites on which a bypass was constructed sometime during the past 23 years. We also obtained the same information at six sites used as comparison sites on which no bypasses were constructed at least until 2005. We them employed a Bayesian approach to estimating the association between the construction of the bypass and crash rates, while also accounting for other factors.

Results

The construction of bypasses in Iowa is associated with a significant increase in traffic safety both on the main road through town and on the combined main road and bypass roadway.     

Severity models of cross-median and rollover crashes on rural divided highways in Pennsylvania

Introduction

Crossover and rollover crashes in earth-divided, traversable medians on rural divided highways can lead to severe injury outcomes. This study estimated severity models of these two crash types. Vehicle, driver, roadway, and median cross-section design data were factors considered in the models. A unique aspect of the data used to estimate the models were the availability of median cross-slope data, which are not commonly included in roadway inventory data files.

Methods

A binary logit model of cross-median crash severity and a multinomial logit model of rollover crash severity were estimated using five years of data from rural divided highways in Pennsylvania.

Results

The highest probability of a fatal or major injury in cross-median and rollover crashes was found to occur in cases when a driver was not wearing a seatbelt. While flatter cross-slopes and narrower medians were associated with more severe cross-median crash outcomes, steeper cross-slopes and narrower medians significantly increased rollover crash severity outcomes. The presence of horizontal curves was associated with increased probabilities of high-severity outcomes in a median rollover crash.

Impact on Industry

Modeling results in this study confirmed that cross-median and median rollover crash severity outcomes are associated with median cross-section design characteristics. Based on the estimated models, it appears that flatter and narrower medians lead to more severe injury outcomes in cross-median crashes. Steeper median cross-slopes and narrower medians were associated with higher probabilities of more severe outcomes in median rollover crashes. The results presented in this study suggest that there is a trade-off between median cross-section design and cross-median and rollover crashes in earth-divided, traversable medians on rural divided highways. While the severity models can be included in a framework to develop design guidance in relation to this trade-off, models of crash frequency should also be considered.