氯霉素对菲律宾蛤仔的急性和亚急性毒性作用

研究了氯霉素对菲律宾蛤仔的急性和亚急性毒性作用.结果表明,菲律宾蛤仔的48,96h LD50值分别为1803,1161mg/dm3,安全浓度为58.05mg/dm3.氯霉素明显抑制菲律宾蛤仔内脏团溶菌酶活性;氯霉素明显抑制内脏团碱性磷酸酶活性,在高浓度时抑制更为明显;氯霉素可激活肌肉组织的碱性磷酸酶活性;氯霉素在高浓度时明显抑制菲律宾蛤仔内脏团及肌肉组织的过氧化氢酶活性,低浓度时抑制不明显.     

MBBR泥膜复合系统泥膜竞争关系的影响因素

为探究MBBR泥膜复合硝化系统内泥膜竞争关系，通过小试试验研究了水处理过程中常规因素（污泥浓度、DO、温度、C/N）对MBBR泥膜复合系统硝化效果的影响，分析了系统内污泥容积负荷和移动床生物膜反应器（MBBR，Moving-Bed Biofilm Reactor）生物膜容积负荷变化趋势，进而得出泥膜竞争规律.结果表明，MBBR泥膜复合系统容积负荷均大于单一污泥或MBBR生物膜系统的容积负荷.在一定范围内，污泥浓度、DO、温度与MBBR泥膜复合系统容积负荷呈现正相关，且系统内活性污泥在与MBBR生物膜在竞争DO和基质时优势明显，而MBBR生物膜则具有更强的耐低温能力.进水C/N与MBBR泥膜复合系统硝化负荷呈负相关，且活性污泥在应对进水C/N过高时较MBBR生物膜更具优势，MBBR的“镶嵌”则强化了系统SND效果.微生物群落变化显示MBBR泥膜复合系统内的硝化细菌优势菌属为Nitrospira，且悬浮载体生物膜对其富集能力明显高于活性污泥.     

Propagation functions for monitoring distributional changes

In environmental assessment and monitoring, a primary objective of the investigator is to describe the changes occurring in the environmentally important variables over time. Propagation functions have been proposed to describe the distributional changes occurring in the variable of interest at two different times. McDonald et al. (1992, 1995) proposed an estimator of propagation function under the assumption of normality. We conduct a detailed sensitivity analysis of inference based on the normal model. It turns out that this model is appropriate only for small departures from normality whereas, for moderate to large departures, both estimation and testing of hypothesis break down. Non-parametric estimation of the propagation function based on kernel density estimation is also considered and the robustness of the choice of bandwidth for kernel density estimation is investigated. Bootstrapping is employed to obtain confidence intervals for the propagation function and also to determine the critical regions for testing the significance of distributional changes between two sampling epochs. Also studied briefly is the mathematical form and graphical shape of the propagation function for some parametric bivariate families of distributions. Finally, the proposed estimation techniques are illustrated on a data set of tree ring widths.     

Acetylcholinesterase activity is affected by stress conditions in<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Paracentrotus lividus</Emphasis> coelomocytes

The presence and function of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in blood cells and plasma is well known. The enzyme activity is associated to red blood cell membranes, as well as to the perinuclear region of leucocytes, suggesting a role in the function of the latter. Recently coelomocytes, acknowledged progenitors of immune cells in vertebrate systems, have been shown to respond to stress conditions, both in laboratory experiments and field studies. Bearing in mind the similarity between coelomocytes and vertebrate blood cells, we investigated the presence of AChE activity in coelomocytes of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus characterized by specific inhibitors, in relation to cold stress induced in the laboratory. Exposure to stress was followed by electrophoretic analysis of AChE activity and Western blot analysis of AChE-like immunoreactivity. Moreover, quantitative analysis of the different molecular forms of AChE was carried out with the aid of a spectrophotometric method. The effects of stress on AChE activity were time dependent. In fact, the enzyme activity was detected by the catalytic activity in cleaving the substrate acetyl thiocholine iodide, which appears to be formed by different isoforms of the enzyme, compared to that of Electrophorus, which was used as a control. Western blot analyses showed the presence of different immunoreactive molecules, with molecular mass ranging from 265 kDa (corresponding to Electrophorus molecules) to about 180 kDa. According to quantitative analysis, the isoforms that were differentiated corresponded to an AChE with the capacity to cleave acetyl--methyl thiocholine iodide (the so-called true AChE, E.C. 3.1.1.7, corresponding to the 265 kDa band) and to a ChE with the capacity to cleave propionyl thiocholine iodide as well. The latter is an ancestral form of AChE, mainly present in invertebrates. Each of these forms was affected differently by varying time exposures.Communicated by R. Cattaneo-Vietti, Genova     

两种新型杀虫剂对小鼠及蝌蚪微核形成率的影响

研究了吡虫啉和抑食肼对小鼠骨髓细胞及蝌蚪红细胞微核率的影响.实验结果表明,上述两种杀虫剂在不同的暴露系统中,呈现了不同的致突变效应.与阴性对照组相比,小鼠骨髓细胞微核形成率无显著性差异(P＞0.05),而它们对蝌蚪红细胞均呈现明显的致突变效应(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),且吡虫啉的致突变性明显高于抑食肼.     

The European Council,the Council and the Member States: changing environmental leadership dynamics in the European Union

ABSTRACT

The leadership dynamics between the European Council, the Council and the Member States in European Union (EU) environmental policy since the 1970s are analysed. The puzzle is that, although the EU was set up as a ‘leaderless Europe’, it is widely seen as an environmental leader, albeit sometimes as a one-eyed leader amongst the blind. While differentiating between leadership types, it is argued that the European Council has the largest structural, the Council the most significant entrepreneurial, and the Member States the most important cognitive and exemplary leadership capacities. Most day-to-day environmental policy measures are negotiated by the Environment Council (in collaboration with the European Parliament). The European Council’s increased interest in high politics climate change issues is largely due to the EU’s global leadership ambitions. Member States have traditionally formed environmental leadership alliances on an ad hoc basis although this may be changing.     

Assessment of the phototoxicity of weathered Alaska North Slope crude oil to juvenile pink salmon

Petroleum products are known to have greater toxicity to the translucent embryos and larvae of aquatic organisms in the presence of ultraviolet radiation (UV) compared to toxicity determined in tests performed under standard laboratory lighting with minimal UV. This study assessed the acute phototoxicity of the water accommodated fractions of weathered Alaska North Slope crude oil (ANS) to juvenile pink salmon, which are a heavily pigmented life stage. Fish in the highest ANS treatments exhibited melanosis, less mobility, reduced startle response, erratic swimming, and loss of equilibrium. Gills from fish exposed to ANS had elevated levels of hydroperoxides in oil-only, UV-only, and oil+UV treatments compared to control fish, which was indicative of increased lipid peroxidation in gill tissue. Under the test conditions of moderate salinity, low UV and high short-term oil exposure there were no indications of photoenhanced toxicity as assessed by elevation of mortality, behavioral impairment, or gill lipid peroxidation in oil+UV treatments. The results of this study suggest that pink salmon may be at less risk from photoenhanced toxicity compared to the translucent early-life stages of several other Alaska species.     

Effects of complex waste mixtures on hepatic monooxygenase activities in brown bullheads (Ictalurus nebulosus)

Hepatic MFO components (cytochrome P-450, cytochrome b(5), and ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase, EROD) were measured in brown bullheads (Ictalurus nebulosus) inhabiting a creek receiving a complex mixture of organics and trace metals. The activities of these same enzymes were also measured in bullheads from an uncontaminated reference site to assess the relative ability of MFO parameters to serve as a biomarker of aquatic pollution. Bullheads analyzed from the polluted site had lower hepatic microsomal P-450 (p < 0.01) concentrations and similar EROD activities per mg protein as compared to bullheads from the reference site. However, analysis of enzyme turnover ratios revealed greater EROD activity per mg cytochrome P-450 (p < 0.05) in the fish from the polluted site. No difference in cytochrome b(5) activities were observed between the two groups. As compared to the reference site, bullheads collected from the polluted creek had an increased occurrence of lip and lower jaw lesions and liver damage, including elevated liver/body weight ratios. Accordingly, the monooxygenase activities measured in this study were not reliable indicators of chemical pollution or contaminant stress in bullheads in the polluted creek. Further research is needed concerning contaminant interactions, particularly among organic pollutants and metals and their effects on monooxygenase activities.