Compound specific carbon and hydrogen stable isotope analyses of volatile organic compounds in various emissions of combustion processes

This study presents carbon (δ¹³C) and hydrogen (δD) isotope values of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in various emission sources using thermal desorption-gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (TD-GC-irMS). The investigated VOCs ranged from C6 to C10. Samples were taken from (i) car exhaust emissions as well as from plant combustion experiments of (ii) various C3 and (iii) various C4 plants. We found significant differences in δ values of analysed VOCs between these sources, e.g. δ¹³C of benzene ranged between (i) −21.7 ± 0.2‰, (ii) −27.6 ± 1.6‰ and (iii) −16.3 ± 2.2‰, respectively and δD of benzene ranged between (i) −73 ± 13‰, (ii) −111 ± 10‰ and (iii) −70 ± 24‰, respectively. Results of VOCs present in investigated emission sources were compared to values from the literature (aluminium refinery emission). All source groups could be clearly distinguished using the dual approach of δ¹³C and δD analysis. The results of this study indicate that the correlation of compound specific carbon and hydrogen isotope analysis provides the potential for future research to trace the fate and to determine the origin of VOCs in the atmosphere using thermal desorption compound specific isotope analysis.     

Photooxidation of naphthalenesulfonic acids: comparison between processes based on O(3), O(3)/activated carbon and UV/H(2)O(2)

The aim of the present study was to analyze and compare the efficacy of UV photodegradation with that of different advanced oxidation processes (O(3), UV/H(2)O(2), O(3)/activated carbon) in the degradation of naphthalenesulfonic acids from aqueous solution and to investigate the kinetics and the mechanism involved in these processes. Results obtained showed that photodegradation with UV radiation (254 nm) of 1-naphthalenesulfonic, 1,5-naphthalendisulfonic and 1,3,6-naphthalentrisulfonic acids is not effective. Presence of duroquinone and 4-carboxybenzophenone during UV irradiation (308-410 nm) of the naphthalenesulfonic acids increased the photodegradation rate. Addition of H(2)O(2) during irradiation of naphthalenesulfonic acids accelerated their elimination, due to the generation of ()OH radicals in the medium. Comparison between UV photodegradation 254 m and the advanced oxidation processes (O(3), O(3)/activated carbon and UV/H(2)O(2)) showed the low-efficacy of the former in the degradation of these compounds from aqueous medium. Thus, among the systems studied, those based on the use of UV/H(2)O(2) and O(3)/activated carbon were the most effective in the oxidation of these contaminants from the medium. This is because of the high-reactivity of naphthalenesulfonic acids with the *OH radicals generated by these two systems. This was confirmed by the values of the reaction rate constant of *OH radicals with these compounds k(OH), obtained by competitive kinetics (5.7 x 10(9) M(-1) s(-1), 5.2 x 10(9) M(-1) s(-1) and 3.7 x 10(9) M(-1) s(-1) for NS, NDS and NTS, respectively).     

Water quality indices across Europe--a comparison of the good ecological status of five river basins

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires the definition of near-natural reference conditions to determine the extent of water bodies' deviation from "good ecological status" caused by stress gradients. However, the classification of ecological quality depends on the assessment method applied and the stressor concerned. While assessment methods that are generally applicable would be favourable, many European countries employ the locally developed water quality metrics that assess the impact of organic pollution (including eutrophication) and the associated decrease in dissolved oxygen. These indices do not specifically address stress from organic toxicants, such as pesticides. The aim of this study was to examine the performance of presently used assessment methods to identify reference conditions of non-contaminated streams in five selected European river basins, covering the geographical region from Spain to Finland, as a crucial prerequisite to indicate toxic gradients. The analysis comprised the Belgium biotic index (BBI), the biological monitoring working party (BMWP) scoring system and the revised German saprobic index. For comparison, we included an adaptation of the recently developed SPEAR index. In two previous field studies, this metric highly correlated with measured pesticide gradients. In this study, SPEAR was the only indicator that was generally applicable to all monitoring data and capable of determining "high ecological status" of reference conditions in all basins. Thus, based upon previous and own results, the authors suggest the species at risk (SPEAR) index to be potentially useful as a European-wide index to address deviations from "good ecological status" due to organic toxicants and recommend it for consideration in integrated water-resource evaluations under the WFD.     

Brood sex ratios, female harem status and resources for nestling provisioning in the great reed warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus)

The theory of parental investment and brood sex ratio manipulation predicts that parents should invest in the more costly sex during conditions when resources are abundant. In the polygynous great reed warbler, Acrocephalus arundinaceus, females of primary harem status have more resources for nestling provisioning than secondary females, because polygynous males predominantly assist the primary female whereas the secondary female has to feed her young alone. Sons weigh significantly more than daughters, and are hence likely to be the more costly sex. In the present study, we measured the brood sex ratio when the chicks were 9 days old, i.e. the fledging sex ratio. As expected from theory, we found that female great reed warblers of primary status had a higher proportion of sons in their broods than females of lower (secondary) harem status. This pattern is in accordance with the results from two other species of marsh-nesting polygynous birds, the oriental reed warbler, Acrocephalus orientalis, and the yellow-headed blackbird Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus. As in the oriental reed warbler, we found that great reed warbler males increased their share of parental care as the proportion of sons in the brood increased. We did not find any difference in fitness of sons and daughters raised in primary and secondary nests. The occurrence of adaptive sex ratio manipulations in birds has been questioned, and it is therefore important that three studies of polygynous bird species, including our own, have demonstrated the same pattern of a male-biased offspring sex ratio in primary compared with secondary nests. Received: 1 June 1999 / Received in revised form: 10 January 2000 / Accepted: 12 February 2000     

Langfristigkeit ökosystemarer Forschung

Time in environmental science continues to be almost neglected. In connection with rising ecological problems long-term research, as is necessary for the evaluation and prediction of environmental conditions, seems to be an exception. Complex ecosystems, e.g. terrestrial and marine systems, however, are characterized by long lasting natural time-scales which must be taken into account by analyzing them. In this context the role of time in ecosystems research becomes important. Therefore, a data base was conceptualized that could take up the main characteristics of ecosystematic analyses. Annual research reports of ecosystem research centers were revised for taking them up into the data base. In this way it is possible to evaluate the pool of data on special aspects, especially on the time parameters of the analyses. One result — besides a partial unequality of the time scales in experiment and reality — is that long-term research in terrestrial ecosystems is very rare. The reasons for this are various, but cannot divert from the need for a greater consideration of longterm observation of the ecosystems. Otherwise the ecosystematic research will not be able to meet their tasks of evaluation and prediction.     

Bioindikation mit Wanderfalken

Goal and Scope

The Stockholm convention bans 12 prominent persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and the pertinent global monitoring programme recommends birds’ eggs as bio-indicators for the terrestrial food web. As top predators, Peregrine falcons are uniquely suited indicators because of their accumulating power for persistent and lipophilic compounds. On the other hand, the Peregrine falcon as a sentinel species was closer to extinction than other birds of prey. Only unremitting efforts of private omithologists throughout the past four decades in conjunction with the timely banning of organochlorine pesticides like DDT succeeded in saving the Peregrine population of Baden-Wueriternberg from extinction, in contrast to the Peregrine falcons of other German states or other European countries.

Methods

See vd Trenck et al. (2006).

Results and Conclusions

New results confirm the findings of the past long-term bio-monitoring. The main pollutants are PCBs (ca. 20 μg/g) and pp′-DDE (ca. 11 μg/g), the latter contributing >96% of all organochlorine pesticide residues (all concentrations on a dry matter basis). Both substances have followed a slightly increasing trend since 2004. The sum of the polychlorinated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) has fluctuated strongly in the past four years, and in 2006 amounted to 0.6 μg/g (mean without outliers), just as the mercury contamination of the eggs. PCB-156 as the main dioxin-like PCB followed with an average concentration of 0.35 μg/g. Only 10 out of 23 eggs analysed contained hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) in measurable concentrations; the mean concentration of these eggs was 0.024 μg/g. Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBA) was detected in all egg samples with a mean of 0.004 μg/g. Due to the many and diverse effects exerted by PCBs; the assessment of this group of compounds, with the aid of European and German regulations for food, proves to be a complex matter, which is currently in a state of flux. There is no doubt, however, that the mean pollution of the Peregrine eggs with toxic dioxin equivalents (WHO TEQ) has reached the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) known for chickens and osprey chicks, and the most polluted eggs exceed this threshold considerably. The toxic profile of PBDEs is similar to that of PCBs. They are known to promote tumour growth, to interfere with the thyroid hormone system resulting in toxicity for the neuronal development, to suppress the immune system, and to trigger stress reactions. Tests with highly purified BDE-47 have ruled out dioxin-like effects via Ah-receptor binding for this congener and such effects are therefore very unlikely for the whole class of compounds. At the present time, quantitative criteria for the assessment of the risk posed by PBDEs are not sufficiently reliable, and less so for HBCD and TBBA.

Recommendations and Perspectives

It is necessary to continue the bio-monitoring of POPs and similar pollutants in the terrestrial food web and to establish NOAELs as quantitative criteria for their assessment. Possible sources of dioxin-like PCBs and PCDD/Fs are to be pinpointed, and abatement measures are to be considered where background concentrations are significantly exceeded.     

在全球化的世界经济中中小企业所面临的挑战

中小企业越来越期望对他们自己环境和社会影响负起责任来(正如跨国公司所做的那样),理解不同利益相关者的兴趣和要求,并且通过更大的透明度证明自己的行为是负责任的.许多要素既可以阻碍也可以驱动较小企业推动法人环境与社会责任战略的实施.为了克服实施这类战略的障碍,适合小型或中等企业需要的方法才可用.在某些领域.会同跨国公司这个关键的利益相关者团体一起,这方面的促进努力已经行动起来了.     

Ubiquitous eight-carbon volatiles of fungi are infochemicals for a specialist fungivore

An enormous variety of volatile substances are released in distinctive blends by fungal substrates that should be recognisable for fungivores. Certain compounds dominate in most of the fungal species. Fungal oxylipins as the eight-carbon volatiles are the most prominent. This raises the question whether such are specific enough to qualify as appropriate host cues for a fungivore. We could demonstrate differentiated responses of the fungivorous beetle Bolitophagus reticulatus to eight-carbon volatiles: Nine eight-carbon volatiles were identified with GC–MS from its host fungus Fomes fomentarius. 1-Octen-3-ol, 3-octanone and 3-octanol induced contrasting behaviour of beetles in olfactometer bioassays. Electroantennographic experiments investigating the beetle olfactory sense revealed distinguishable antennal responses. Moreover, their individual release from F. fomentarius fruiting bodies changes not only considerably, but also independently over successive stages of beetle colonisation. Concentrations of attractive and repellent eight-carbon volatiles correlate to frequency of beetles in the field and further substantiate their relevance as host cues. Our results show that a specialist fungivore is able to differentiate the most common eight-carbon volatiles of fungi to assess host quality. Key roles and marked similarities of fungal to plant oxylipins suggest a comparable importance of eight-carbon volatiles to fungivores as green leaf volatiles have to herbivores.     

斯德哥尔摩的伙伴关系

新的斯德哥尔摩可持续城市伙伴关系论坛,通过城市和企业间的伙伴关系,将推动可持续性融入城市规划的进程.开始于2000年秋季的这个论坛,标志着1972年联合国环境大会已届30周年.全欧各城市的决策者及其选定的企业界同行将应邀参加.论坛将举办的活动包括各种专题研讨会和在线讨论会.     

Ecological changes and local knowledge in a giant honey bee (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Apis dorsata</Emphasis> F.) hunting community in Palawan,Philippines

One of the traditional livelihood practices of indigenous Tagbanuas in Palawan, Philippines is wild honey hunting and gathering from the giant honey bee (Apis dorsata F.). In order to analyze the linkages of the social and ecological systems involved in this indigenous practice, we conducted spatial, quantitative, and qualitative analyses on field data gathered through mapping of global positioning system coordinates, community surveys, and key informant interviews. We found that only 24% of the 251 local community members surveyed could correctly identify the giant honey bee. Inferential statistics showed that a lower level of formal education strongly correlates with correct identification of the giant honey bee. Spatial analysis revealed that mean NDVI of sampled nesting tree areas has dropped from 0.61 in the year 1988 to 0.41 in 2015. However, those who correctly identified the giant honey bee lived in areas with high vegetation cover. Decreasing vegetation cover limits the presence of wild honey bees and this may also be limiting direct experience of the community with wild honey bees. However, with causality yet to be established, we recommend conducting further studies to concretely model feedbacks between ecological changes and local knowledge.