Public Perception of Blue-Algae Bloom Risk in Hongze Lake of China

In this work we characterize the public perception of one kind of ecological risk—blue-algae bloom in Hongze Lake, China, based on the psychometric paradigm method. In the first survey of May 2008, 300 respondents of Sihong County adjacent to Hongze Lake were investigated, with a total of 156 questionnaires returned. Then in a second survey of July 2008, 500 respondents from the same research area were investigated, with 318 questionnaires collected. This research firstly attempted to explore the local respondents’ degree of concern regarding ecological changes to Hongze Lake in the last ten years. Secondly, to explore the public perception of blue-algae bloom compared to three typical kinds of hazards including earthquake, nuclear power and public traffic. T-test was used to examine the difference of risk perception in these four hazards over time. The third part of this research, with demographic analysis and nonparametric statistical test, predicted the different groups of respondents’ willingness to accept (WTA) risk of blue-algae bloom in two surveys. Using multiple linear regression analysis, the risk perception model explained 28.3% of variance in the WTA blue-algae bloom risk. The variables of Knowledge, Social effect, Benefit, Controllability and Trust in government were significantly correlated with WTA, which implied that these variables were the main influencing factors explaining the respondents’ willingness to accept risk. The results would help the Chinese government to comprehend the public’s risk perception of the lake ecosystem, inducing well designed communication of risks with public and making effective mitigation policies to improve people’s rational risk judgment.     

不同释钾菌对粉煤灰的生态效应

粉煤灰治理难度大,但它含有植物生长必需的营养元素钾,将其就地资源化生物利用是一条较好的途径。释钾菌是一种能把矿物中的难溶性钾转化为有效钾的细菌,从土壤中筛选出2种释钾菌,经过在粉煤灰基质中的驯化培养,通过盆栽试验种植紫花苜蓿,比较不同菌株对粉煤灰的改良作用及其对植物生长的影响。结果表明,筛选出的菌株C6对粉煤灰中速效钾的释放效果明显,降低了基质pH,显著地促进了植物的生长,对粉煤灰生态修复具有重要意义。     

Compatibility of hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin with algal toxicity bioassays

Numerous reports have indicated that hydrophobic organic compound bioaccessibility in sediment and soil can be determined by extraction using aqueous hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPCD) solutions. This study establishes the compatibility of HPCD with Selenastrum capricornutum and assesses whether its presence influences the toxicity of reference toxicants. Algal growth inhibition (72 h) showed no significant (P > 0.05) difference at HPCD concentrations up to and including 20 mM. HPCD presence did not influence the toxicity of the inorganic reference toxicant (ZnSO₄), with IC50 values of 0.82 μM and 0.85 μM, in the presence and absence of HPCD (20 mM), respectively. However, HPCD presence (20 mM) reduced the toxicity of 2,4-dichlorophenol and the herbicides diuron and isoproturon. These reductions were attributed to inclusion complex formation between the toxicants and the HPCD cavity. Liberation of complexed toxicants, by sample manipulation prior to toxicity assessment, is proposed to provide a sensitive, high throughput, bioassay that reflects compound bioaccessibility.     

Environmental mercury contamination of an artisanal zinc smelting area in Weining County, Guizhou, China

To investigate the extent of Hg contamination due to artisanal Zn smelting activities in Weining County, northwestern Guizhou, China, total Hg and methyl mercury (MeHg) concentrations in soil and surface water were determined. Samples of corn plants growing in the study area were also collected for total Hg analysis. A high geometric mean Hg emission factor of 75gHgt(-1)Zn was estimated and significantly elevated total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentrations were found in the atmosphere adjacent to the Zn smelting sites, ranging from 30 to 3814ngm(-3). Total Hg and MeHg concentrations in topsoil samples ranged from 62 to 355microgkg(-1) and from 0.20 to 1.1microgkg(-1), respectively. Total Hg Concentrations in corn plant tissues increased in the order of grains相似文献   

如何树立生态文明新理念

生态文明是人类文明发展的必由之路.继承和创新中国传统文化固有的生态文明观,注重树立生态文明的新理念,要坚持以科学发展观为指导,以奥运为契机,建立绿色生态消费观,更要从审美的视角开展生态美育教育.     

微生物对煤矿固体废弃物的脱硫效应

煤矸石是煤矿特有的一种固体废弃物,应用本实验室筛选出的氧化亚铁硫杆菌Thiobacillus ferrooxidans和嗜酸氧化硫硫杆菌Thiobacillus thiooxidans对宁夏大武口高硫煤矸石进行微生物脱硫技术及应用条件的研究,如不同煤矸石粒径、不同接种浓度和不同煤矸石浓度。2种脱硫细菌对煤矸石的脱硫效果显著,小粒径煤矸石的微生物脱硫效果更好。考虑脱硫成本及脱硫效率,Thiobacillus ferrooxidans菌最佳的接种浓度为25%,在Thiobacillus Thiobacillus thiooxidans菌悬液中,能脱出最大量硫酸根的煤矸石最佳比例是10%。2种菌混合较单菌株脱硫效果更好,以Thiobacillus ferrooxidans∶Thiobacillus thiooxidans=2∶3的比例混合后对煤矸石的脱硫效果最佳,该结果为煤矿废弃物煤矸石的污染防治提供技术依据。     

The use of spatial autocorrelation analysis to identify PAHs pollution hotspots at an industrially contaminated site

The identification of contamination “hotspots” are an important indicator of the degree of contamination in localized areas, which can contribute towards the re-sampling and remedial strategies used in the seriously contaminated areas. Accordingly, 114 surface samples, collected from an industrially contaminated site in northern China, were assessed for 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and were analyzed using multivariate statistical and spatial autocorrelation techniques. The results showed that the PCA leads to a reduction in the initial dimension of the dataset to two components, dominated by Chr, Bbf&Bkf, Inp, Daa, Bgp, and Nap were good representations of the 16 original PAHs; Global Moran’s I statistics indicated that the significant autocorrelations were detected and the autocorrelation distances of six indicator PAHs were 750, 850, 1,200, 850, 750, and 1,200 m, respectively; there were visible high–high values (hotspots) clustered in the mid-bottom part of the site through the Local Moran’s I index analysis. Hotspot identification and spatial distribution results can play a key role in contaminated site investigation and management.     

基于无机氮磷利用特征的小球藻优化培养技术

氮磷对小球藻的生长产生重要影响,基于氮磷优化培养条件的探讨具有理论和实际意义。在静置培养、通气培养和通气加碳源（葡萄糖）培养等条件下对小球藻的生长影响和氮磷消耗进行了试验,采用分批取样补料方式对培养过程进行了优化研究。结果表明,在未调节培养液pH值条件下,藻液的pH值在7~9变化,随培养时间呈略微下降的趋势。各培养条件下,小球藻对硝酸盐的吸收速率均表现出先快后慢的特征,对磷的吸收利用表现为总磷先快速被吸收利用,然后稳定在一定范围内波动。小球藻的生长在静置培养条件下主要受培养液中硝酸盐氮含量和培养液pH值的影响,通气培养条件下主要受培养液中硝酸盐氮含量的影响,通气外加碳源培养条件下主要受培养液中可溶解性总磷含量和硝酸盐氮含量双重影响。在通气外加碳源分批取样补料的藻类优化培养中,生长中期取样补料小球藻生长速率受影响较小,单位时间生物量最高,达3 565 mg/（L·d     

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) inducers and estrogen receptor (ER) activities in surface sediments of Three Gorges Reservoir,China evaluated with in vitro cell bioassays

Two types of biological tests were employed for monitoring the toxicological profile of sediment cores in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), China. In the present study, sediments collected in June 2010 from TGR were analyzed for estrogen receptor (ER)- and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-mediated activities. The estrogenic activity was assessed using a rapid yeast estrogen bioassay, based on the expression of a green fluorescent reporter protein. Weak anti-estrogenic activity was detected in sediments from an area close to the dam of the reservoir, and weak estrogenic activities ranging from 0.3 to 1 ng 17β-estradiol (E2) equivalents (EQ) g^?1 dry weight sediment (dw) were detected in sediments from the Wanzhou to Guojiaba areas. In the upstream areas Wanzhou and Wushan, sediments demonstrated additive effects in co-administration of 1 nM E2 in the yeast test system, while sediments from the downstream Badong and Guojiaba areas showed estrogenic activities which seemed to be more than additive (synergistic activity). There was an increasing tendency in estrogenic activity from upstream of TGR to downstream, while this tendency terminated and converted into anti-estrogenic activity in the area close to the dam. The AhR activity was detected employing rat hepatoma cell line (H4IIE). EROD activities were found homogenously distributed in sediments in TGR ranging from 200 to 311 pg 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) EQ g^?1 dw for total AhR agonists and from 45 to 76 pg TCDD EQ g^?1 dw for more persistent AhR agonists. The known AhR agonists polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, polychlorinated biphenyl, and PCDD/F only explained up to 8 % of the more persistent AhR agonist activity in the samples, which suggests that unidentified AhR-active compounds represented a great proportion of the TCDD EQ in sediments from TGR. These findings of estrogenic potential and dioxin-like activity in TGR sediments provide possible weight-of-evidence of potential ecotoxicological causes for the declines in fish populations which have been observed during the past decades in TGR.     

Contrasting effects of silicates on cadmium uptake by three dicotyledonous crops grown in contaminated soil

The effects of several silicates (talcum powder (TP), calcium silicate (CS), sodium silicate (SS), and potassium silicate (PS)), in comparison with other amendments (quicklime (QL) and potassium dihydrogen phosphate (PDP)) on cadmium (Cd) uptake by three dicotyledonous crops (Amaranthus hypochondriacus L. Cv. ‘K112’, Amaranthus tricolor L., and Brassica oleracea var. albiflora Kuntze) were investigated in Cd–contaminated soil. The effects of both application methods of amendments (singly and combined) and timing of application were also evaluated. Sodium silicate was the most effective in reducing crop Cd uptake and translocation, which was diminished by 51 % in roots, 53 % in stems, and 72 % in leaves on average. Application of CS amendment showed greater efficiency than PDP amendment in decreasing Cd uptake by crops and resulted in increased biomass. Potassium silicate only slightly decreased shoot Cd concentration. Combination of PDP and SS was able to overcome the inhibitory effect of SS on crop yield while decreasing Cd concentrations in roots, stems and leaves of the tested crops by average rates of 52, 65, and 68 % respectively. Applications of SS and PS significantly reduced the root-to-shoot Cd transfer factor. We found that Si accumulation in crops was not associated with lower Cd concentration, indicating that Si in crops may play a major role in alleviating metal stress rather than inhibiting crop Cd accumulation. We suggested that the inhibitive effect of silicates on crops Cd uptake was majorly attributed to the properties of the silicates, those were their specific effects on soil pH and cations, which increased Cd adsorption by soil and suppressed Cd uptake from soil solution by increasing the relative dissolved concentrations of competing cations.