A regional inventory and monitoring setup to evaluate bark peeling damage by red deer (Cervus elaphus) in coniferous plantations in Southern Belgium

Sediment phosphorus (P) fractions and sorption characteristics and P release from intact sediment cores of Baiyangdian Lake in North China in spring 2009 were investigated. Results of chemical fractionation showed that total P (TP) content in sediment ranged from 443 to 611 mg kg(?-1). Of the P fractions including inorganic P (IP) and organic P (OP), IP was a dominant component of TP and present in the form of P bounded to calcium (Ca-P) while the bioavailable P content bounded to Al, Fe, and Mn oxides and hydroxides (Fe/Al-P) varied from 14 to 102 mg kg(?-1). The batch experiments showed that the sediments had appreciable maximum P adsorption capacity from 141.86 to 377.37 mg kg(?-1). However, the zero P equilibrium concentration (C?(eq))in most sampling sites was larger than the P concentration in water column. Accordingly, the sediments from those sampling sites would release P into the overlying water at the positive P flux rates as a P release source. Significant positive correlation between P flux rates and Fe/Al-P revealed that the sediment P release would mainly originate from the bioavailable P fraction. It is evident that the inherent phosphorus present in lake sediments would be a major threat to the water quality and ecosystem reservation in Baiyangdian lake.     

DIE‐OFF OF PATHOGENIC E. COLI O157:H7 IN SEWAGE CONTAMINATED WATERS1

E. coli O157:H7 is a pathogen that can be present in sewage contaminated waters. This organism poses a health risk for humans who come in contact with these waters via drinking, swimming, or shellfish consumption. A risk assessment model is needed to evaluate or quantify this risk. One possibility is the use of a computer model to simulate the fate and transport of E. coli O157:H7 downstream from a discharge point [e.g., a separate sanitary sewer overflow (SSO)]. However, this computer model would require input data regarding characteristics of this organism, which have not been previously available. One necessary input parameter is the rate at which die off of this organism occurs in a stream or river environment. Several studies were conducted to evaluate the die‐off rate of E. coli O157:H7 in an SSO impacted stream. Indicator bacteria (total coliforms, E. coli, and enterococci) were evaluated simultaneously. The results suggest that E. coli O157:H7 is not persistent — decay rates are high relative to the indicator bacteria. However, the decay plots suggest a biphasic response: initial decay is rapid, followed by an attenuated, slower decay. Hence traditional simulation methods using a single, first‐order decay rate may be inaccurate.     

Repartition du cadmium dans les enveloppes cellulaires d'une bacterie marine

Investigations were made on a Gram negative marine bacterium to describe the involvement of the different envelopes in the distribution of cadmium on cells. Cadmium content decreased from the outer to the inner layers of the cell wall, suggesting a protective effect of the different envelopes.     

Cadmium binding sites on cells of a marine pseudomonad

Enzymatic hydrolysis was used to determine some binding locations of cadmium on the cell wall of a sensitive marine pseudomonad. Metal was mainly bound to ionic material such as polygalacturonic acids, and to a lesser extent, to non ionic polymers such as cellulose and dextrans.     

Synthesis of Biobased Soft-Packaging Polyesters from 2,5 Thiophenedicarboxylic Acid

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - Demand for light-packaging materials for food and beverages is on the rise globally, especially in developing countries where several depend on packaged...