Depth profiles of volatile halogenated hydrocarbons in seawater in the Bay of Bengal

Measurements were made of bromocarbons (CHBr3 and CH2Br2), iodocarbons (CH2I2 and CH2ClI), and dimethylsulfide (DMS, CH3SCH3) in seawater collected from the Bay of Bengal under tropical stratified conditions. These compounds showed different depth profiles, characteristic of each group. CH2I2 and CH2ClI showed very similar depth profiles to chlorophyll-a, suggesting their production by phytoplankton followed by rapid decay in seawater. The CH2I2 maximum at a depth a little below the CH2ClI maximum was consistent with its more significant photolytic decay. The bromocarbons were less localized in their distributions than were the iodocarbons, suggesting their longer residence time in seawater after their release from phytoplankton. Both of these profiles were different from the pattern of DMS, which had its maxima above the chlorophyll-a maximum layer near the surface.     

Vertical distribution of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Todarodes pacificus</Emphasis> (Cephalopoda: Ommastrephidae) paralarvae near the Oki Islands,southwestern Sea of Japan

The diel vertical distribution patterns of Japanese common squid, Todarodes pacificus, paralarvae were examined using a Multiple Opening Closing Net and Environmental Sensing System (MOCNESS) in the southwest Sea of Japan near the Oki Islands (Japan) during five late-autumn surveys in 1998–2002. A total of 1,511 paralarvae ranging in mantle length (ML) from 0.7 to 7.3 mm were collected at 63 of the 68 stations surveyed. Most (84%) were collected above 75 m depth and in the mixed layer. The vertical distribution patterns varied little between day and night. Hatchling-sized (<1.0 mm ML) paralarvae were abundant at 0–25 m depth, and paralarval ML increased with increasing sampling depth. Our results suggest that T. pacificus paralarvae do not exhibit large diel vertical migration patterns, but as they increase in size, paralarvae gradually descend in the water column and the variability in depth increases with ontogeny.     

Humification index of composts originating from three types of woody biomass

Composting is a good method for recycling surplus manure and stabilizing organic matter from biowastes. Compost is used as a soil amendment and recently, for restoration of vegetation in barren areas. We investigated the relationship between the type of woody biomass (using Robinia pseudoacacia, Japanese larch and apple) and the humification index (HI) of the resulting compost. This study evaluated the difference in HI between the three compost types, and the structural features of composts and extracted humic acids (HAs). The HIs for R. pseudoacacia and apple were larger than that for Japanese larch after composting for 11 months. The structural features of the Japanese larch compost were also different from the apple and R. pseudoacacia, with a very high carbon/nitrogen ratio. The average molecular weights and ultraviolet–visible spectra (A600/C) of HAs extracted from composting samples at 0 and 11 months indicate that the humification rate of Japanese larch was slower than that of R. pseudoacacia and apple. During composting, the average molecular weights of apple and R. pseudoacacia decreased, while their A600/C values increased, but the reverse was observed for Japanese larch. The humification rate was found to depend on the type of woody biomass being composted.     

Hydroxylation of bisphenol A by hyper lignin-degrading fungus Phanerochaete sordida YK-624 under non-ligninolytic condition

Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the representative compounds of the endocrine disrupting compounds group and the highest volume chemicals produced worldwide. As a result, BPA is often detected in many soil and water environments. In this study, we demonstrated the transformation of BPA from liquid cultures inoculated with hyper lignin-degrading fungus Phanerochaete sordida YK-624. Under non-ligninolytic condition, approximately 80% of BPA was eliminated after 7 d of incubation. High-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectra and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses of a metabolite isolated from the culture supernatant suggested that BPA was metabolized to hydroxy-BPA, 4-(2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propan-2-yl)benzene-1,2-diol, which has a much lower estrogenic activity than BPA. In addition, we investigated the effect of the cytochrome P450 inhibitor piperonyl butoxide (PB) on the hydroxylation of BPA, markedly lower transformation activity of BPA was observed in cultures containing PB. These results suggest that cytochrome P450 plays an important role in the hydroxylation of BPA by P. sordida YK-624 under non-ligninolytic condition.     

Effects of dry bulk density and particle size fraction on gas transport parameters in variably saturated landfill cover soil

Landfill sites are emerging in climate change scenarios as a significant source of greenhouse gases. The compacted final soil cover at landfill sites plays a vital role for the emission, fate and transport of landfill gases. This study investigated the effects of dry bulk density, ρ(b), and particle size fraction on the main soil-gas transport parameters - soil-gas diffusivity (D(p)/D(o), ratio of gas diffusion coefficients in soil and free air) and air permeability (k(a)) - under variably-saturated moisture conditions. Soil samples were prepared by three different compaction methods (Standard and Modified Proctor compaction, and hand compaction) with resulting ρ(b) values ranging from 1.40 to 2.10 g cm(-3). Results showed that D(p) and k(a) values for the '+gravel' fraction (<35 mm) became larger than for the '-gravel' fraction (<2mm) under variably-saturated conditions for a given soil-air content (ε), likely due to enhanced gas diffusion and advection through less tortuous, large-pore networks. The effect of dry bulk density on D(p) and k(a) was most pronounced for the '+gravel' fraction. Normalized ratios were introduced for all soil-gas parameters: (i) for gas diffusivity D(p)/D(f), the ratio of measured D(p) to D(p) in total porosity (f), (ii) for air permeability k(a)/k(a)(,pF4.1), the ratio of measured k(a) to k(a) at 1235 kPa matric potential (=pF 4.1), and (iii) for soil-air content, the ratio of soil-air content (ε) to total porosity (f) (air saturation). Based on the normalized parameters, predictive power-law models for D(p)(ε/f) and k(a)(ε/f) models were developed based on a single parameter (water blockage factor M for D(p) and P for k(a)). The water blockage factors, M and P, were found to be linearly correlated to ρ(b) values, and the effects of dry bulk density on D(p) and k(a) for both '+gravel' and '-gravel' fractions were well accounted for by the new models.     

中国几个地区土壤中239,240Pu、241Am和137Cs等放射性核素的测定

分别从北京、太原、石家庄和济南地区采集了深度为0-5和5-20cm的土壤样品,进行了~(239,240)Pu、~(241)Am、~(137)Cs、~(40)K以及天然铀、钍系放射性核素的测定.估计了样品中放射性核素的水平和分布.结果表明,~(239,240)Pu、~(241)Am和~(137)Cs 的平均累积沉降量分别为24+13、10±5和1230±700MBq/km~2.~(239,240)Pu/~(137)Cs活度比为0.016—0.026(平均值0.020±0.004),~(214)Am/~(239,240)Pu活度比为0.35—0.49(平均值0.43±0.05).还讨论了这些核素与土壤中“过剩”~(210)Pb之间的关系.     

Life cycle assessment of integrated recycling schemes for plastic containers and packaging with consideration of resin composition

Many life cycle assessment studies have evaluated and compared the environmental performance of various technologies for recycling plastic containers and packaging in Japan and other countries. However, no studies have evaluated the combination of recycling technologies in consideration of the resin composition in terms of the quantity of each recycled product so as to maximize their environmental potential. In this study, 27 scenarios of recycling schemes for household waste plastic containers and packaging are developed through integrating a conventional recycling scheme with additional recycling schemes. The conventional recycling scheme involves municipal curbside collection and either the material recycling or feedstock recycling of waste plastics. The additional recycling schemes are feedstock recycling in steel works of the residue from conventional material recycling processes, and corporate voluntary collection and independent material recycling of specific types of plastic trays. Life cycle assessment based on the modeling of recycling processes considering the resin composition in terms of the quantity of each recycled product is applied to evaluate and compare these scenarios from the viewpoints of fossil resource consumption and CO₂ emission. The results show that the environmental loads are reduced in all scenarios including the additional recycling schemes compared with the conventional recycling scheme. However, the independent plastic tray recycling scheme exhibits lower additional environmental savings when the residue recycling scheme is integrated with the conventional material recycling scheme. This is because both additional recycling schemes aim to utilize polystyrene and polyethylene terephthalate, which would otherwise be incinerated as residue from material recycling processes. The evaluation of the environmental loads of plastic recycling with consideration of the resin composition in terms of the quantity of each recycled product makes it possible to investigate recycling schemes that integrate different technologies to maximize their environmental potential.     

Levels and regional trends of persistent organochlorines and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in Asian breast milk demonstrate POPs signatures unique to individual countries

Human breast milk samples collected in 2007–2008 from four countries, Vietnam (Hanoi), China (Beijing), Korea (Seoul) and Japan (Sendai, Kyoto and Takayama), were analyzed for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs), chlordane-related compounds (CHLs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Comparing with previous surveys, the present study indicates that the DDTs in breast milk from China and Vietnam had gradually decreased during the last decade, but were still 5–10 times higher than those in other nations. The ratios of p,p′-DDE/p,p′-DDT and o,p′-DDT/p,p′-DDT were higher in Beijing than in the other countries, suggesting that there is less fresh intake of commercial DDT products and a possible exposure to dicofol in China. CHL and PCB levels were relatively higher in mothers from Japan, whereas β-HCH and HCB were more common in Chinese women. In Japan, it is suspected that mothers in the urban/coastal area (Sendai) were more continuously exposed to organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) than mothers in the rural/inland area (Takayama). In addition, OCP levels in primiparae were significantly higher than those in multiparae from Japan and Korea. These indicate that both parity and regional factors are major determinants of the levels of OCPs and PCBs in human milk. On the other hand, higher concentrations of PBDEs were observed in mothers' milk from Korea. The congener was dominated by BDE-47 (43–54%), followed by BDE-153 (23–33%) in all regions except for Beijing where BDE-28 (23%) was relatively abundant. In Japanese breast milk, regional and parity-dependent distributions were not observed for PBDEs. Among PBDE congeners, age-dependency was observed for BDE-153, which was negatively correlated (p < 0.05) to the age of mothers in Kyoto (17 participants were housewives), while it increased with age in Sendai (10 participants were clerks). No such correlation was seen for BDE-47, indicating that BDE-47 was ingested and assimilated via different kinetics or routes from BDE-153 in Japan.     

Gas chromatography�Cmass spectrometry for metabolite profiling of Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) juveniles exposed to malathion

Purpose

We evaluate malathion toxicity to Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) juveniles by using a mass spectrometry combined with gas chromatography (GC/MS) metabolomics approach.

Methods

Medaka were exposed to low (L) and high (H) concentrations (nominally 20 and 2,000 ??g/L, respectively) of water-borne malathion. Metabolites were extracted from the fish, derivatized, and analyzed by GC/MS. Identified metabolites were subjected to one-way analysis of variance and principal component analysis (PCA). We examined the variations in the amounts of the metabolites during the exposure period.

Results and discussion

At 24 h, control, L, and H groups were separated along PC1, suggesting that the effects of malathion depended on exposure concentration. The PCA results at 96 h suggest that the metabolite profiles variations of the L and H groups differed, and thus that the effects of malathion in groups differed. At 24 h, the amounts of amino acids in both exposed groups were lower than the control group amounts, perhaps owing to accelerated protein synthesis. At 96 h, the amounts of almost all the amino acids increased in the L group but decreased in the H group relative to the control group amounts, suggesting the proteolysis occurred in the L group while protein synthesis continued in the H group, that the high malathion exposure affected the fish. In addition, at 96 h, gluconeogenesis may have been induced in the L group but not in H group.

Conclusions

Malathion exposure may have altered the balance between protein synthesis and degradation and induced gluconeogenesis in medaka. Our results suggest that metabolomics will be useful for comprehensive evaluation of toxicity.     

Quantities of bisphenol a leached from plastic waste samples

To quantify the leaching of bisphenol A into water, various samples of plastic waste were cut into small pieces, soaked in water for two weeks at room temperature in the dark, and the concentration of bisphenol A in the water determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The amount of bisphenol A leached from the plastic wastes ranged from undetectable to 139 micrograms/g. The detection limit was 2 ng/g when 100 g of plastic waste was used. Polyvinyl chloride products yielded the highest concentrations because bisphenol A is used in its manufacture as a stabilizer.