Trace Element Concentrations and Bioindicator Responses in Tree Swallows from Northwestern Minnesota

Extremely high concentrations of cadmium (3.5 μg/g dry wgt.) and elevated concentrations of chromium (>10 μg/g dry wgt.) and mercury (1.6 μg/g dry wgt.) were reported in waterbird tissues at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge in northwestern Minnesota in 1994. Tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) were studied during 1998–2001 at three drainages into the Refuge, two pools on the Refuge, and at a nearby reference location to document whether high levels of contaminants were still present, and if so to quantify the source and severity of the contamination. Trace elements were measured in tree swallow eggs, livers, and diet. Reproductive success and bioindicator responses were monitored. In 2000, water was drawn down on Agassiz Pool, one of the main pools on the Refuge. This presented an opportunity to evaluate the response of trace element concentrations in the diet and tissues of tree swallows after reflooding. High concentrations of trace elements were not detected in swallow tissues, nor were there differences among locations. Less than 20% of swallow samples had detectable concentrations of cadmium or chromium. Mercury concentrations were low and averaged <0.25 μg/g dry wgt. in swallow tissues. Trace elements, including mercury, did not increase in tree swallows following the 2000 drawdown at Agassiz Pool. Hatching success and survival of nestlings to 12 days-of-age for tree swallows on the Refuge were similar to the national average and consistent with background trace element concentrations. Bioindicator measurements were within the normal ranges as well.     

Evaluation of EU risk assessments existing chemicals (EC Regulation 793/93)

An evaluation was performed on the first group (41) of completed risk assessments for chemicals of the EU priority lists (Existing Chemicals; EC Regulation 793/93). The evaluation focussed on the conclusions of the risk assessments. The EU risk assessment process detected a high number of substances of concern. Furthermore priority chemicals may pose potential risks to the whole range of protection goals of the risk assessment. The predictability of the risk assessments for priority chemicals was investigated. Our a priori knowledge on possible risks of priority chemicals is found to be poor, especially for consumers. Both for environment and human health the potential risks were linked with a broad spectrum of use patterns. It is concluded that no industry category can in advance be excluded from performing risk assessments. For a great number of chemicals, additional testing was found to be needed to finalize the risk assessment. This evokes questions about the completeness of the current base-set, but also about the suitability of some of the submitted human health tests that should initially fulfil the base-set needs. The results of this evaluation are useful for ongoing discussions on risk assessment processes for chemicals.     

Pressurized CO2/zero valent iron system for nitrate removal

A fluidized zero valent iron (ZVI) reactor pressurized by CO(2) gas for controlling pH was employed for nitrate reduction. The proposed CO(2) pressurized system potentially has advantages of using less CO(2) gas and reaching equilibrium pH faster than CO(2)-bubbled system. However, due to weak acid nature of carbonic acid, system pH gradually increased with increasing oxidation of ZVI and reduction of nitrate. As pH increased with progress of reaction, nitrate removal rate decreased continuously. The results indicate that nitrate removal efficiency increases with increasing initial ZVI dosage but reaches plateau at ZVI doses of higher than 8.25gl(-1), and initial nitrate concentration up to 100mg l(-1) as N has minimal impact on the removal efficiency. Unlike the fluidized system with pH control by strong acid reported in our pervious study, near 100% of nitrogen recovery was observed in the current process, indicating that nitrate reduction by ZVI with different pH controlled mechanisms will have different reaction routes.     

A non-policing honey bee colony (Apis mellifera capensis)

In the Cape honey bee Apis mellifera capensis, workers lay female eggs without mating by thelytokous parthenogenesis. As a result, workers are as related to worker-laid eggs as they are to queen-laid eggs and therefore worker policing is expected to be lower, or even absent. This was tested by transferring worker- and queen-laid eggs into three queenright A. m. capensis discriminator colonies and monitoring their removal. Our results show that worker policing is variable in A. m. capensis and that in one colony worker-laid eggs were not removed. This is the first report of a non-policing queenright honey bee colony. DNA microsatellite and morphometric analysis suggests that the racial composition of the three discriminator colonies was different. The variation in policing rates could be explained by differences in degrees of hybridisation between A. m. capensis and A. m. scutellata, although a larger survey is needed to confirm this.     

零价铁处理孔雀石绿废水的研究

以孔雀石绿为目标污染物,考察零价铁对孔雀石绿的降解行为,系统研究了零价铁投加量、初始pH值及孔雀石绿初始浓度对反应的影响。结果表明,在孔雀石绿初始质量浓度为200 mg/L、铁粉投加量为1g/L、初始pH值为6.5、反应时间为60 min的条件下,孔雀石绿的去除率为96.3%;同时探讨了零价铁降解孔雀石绿的动力学过程,结果表明,孔雀石绿的降解符合一级动力学反应。     

煤矸石中金属和酸根离子的淋溶特性

为了确定煤矸石的污染析出特性及规律,以某高速公路的煤矸石为研究对象,通过实验室模拟大自然降雨的过程,并控制实验过程中的浸泡时间、pH、固液比及空隙率,对煤矸石进行淋溶实验.结果表明,在静态浸泡实验中,污染物浸出量随浸泡时间的延长而增大,48 h污染物析出达到平衡;煤矸石中污染物的浸出量随初始pH值的降低而增大;随固液比的增大而增大.煤矸石空隙率越小,污染物析出的质量浓度越高.在模拟自然降雨的第一次淋溶过程中,煤矸石中浸出的污染物质量浓度最大,从第二次的淋溶过程开始,污染物的释放量便迅速下降,并保持较平稳的溶解释放速率.实验结果说明,降雨次数和降雨量的增加会促进煤矸石中污染物的溶解释放.在煤矸石中混合黏土、砂砾等增加煤矸石的空隙率,可以降低污染物析出量,从而减轻煤矸石资源化利用中对沿线土壤和地下水的二次污染.     

厌氧生物流化床处理啤酒废水动力学研究

通过合理假设推导出了厌氧生物流化床处理啤酒废水过程中的基质降解的动力学模型和微生物生长的动力学模型,并通过实验测出了模型中的相关参数.     

油田企业职业卫生工作探讨

胜利油田是特大型国有企业,工作范围近4.4×104 km2.多年来,油田的职业卫生防治工作坚持"预防为主,防治结合"的工作方针,宣传和贯彻《职业病防治法》,强化职能建设、拓宽服务领域,推行HSE程序化管理,为油田生产建设提供了有力保障.现结合工作实践,就做好油田企业职业卫生工作进行探讨.     

Effects of the simultaneous application of potassium and calcium on the soil-to-Chinese cabbage transfer of radiocesium and radiostrontium

Pot experiments were carried out in a greenhouse to investigate how effectively the transfer of radiocesium and radiostrontium from soil to Chinese cabbage could be reduced by applying K and Ca simultaneously to the soil. The sources of these elements were KCl and Ca(OH)(2) at agrochemical grades. Varying dosages of K and Ca were tested for an acid loamy soil treated with a mixed solution of (137)Cs and (85)Sr at two different times - 3 d before sowing and 32 d after sowing. For the pre-sowing deposition, the soil-to-plant transfer of (137)Cs decreased sharply with increasing dosages of K and Ca (K/Ca, g m(-2)) from 4.8/46 up to 22.4/215 but the (85)Sr transfer had the greatest reduction at a dosage of 12.8/123. At this dosage, an about 60% reduction occurred for each radionuclide. Plant growth was inhibited from the dosage of 22.4/215, above which all the plants died young. Both dosages of 4.8/46 and 12.8/123 tested following the growing-time deposition produced around 95% reductions for (137)Cs and 50% reductions for (85)Sr. In the second year after the 12.8/123 applications, the effects for (85)Sr were almost the same as in the first year, whereas those for (137)Cs were diminished slightly for the pre-sowing deposition and markedly for the growing-time deposition. Considerably (K) or slightly (Ca) higher doses than 12.8/123 would be allowable for the maximum TF reductions achievable without a growth inhibition.     

欧洲发达国家安全管理特点与启示

德国、法国和英国等欧洲发达国家都是老牌的工业强国,仍有许多高危行业,但在过去的30年里,这些国家的生产安全事故发生率一直保持在较低水平,其在安全生产的法制化、科学化、规范化和长效化管理方面有着丰富的经验和做法。