Occurrence and Trend of Hepatitis A Virus in Bivalve Molluscs Production Areas Following a Contamination Event

The aim of this study was to assess the trend of hepatitis A virus (HAV) in a coastal zone impacted by a contamination event, providing data for the development of management strategies. A total of 352 samples, including four bivalve mollusc species (Mytilus galloprovincialis, Solen vagina, Venus gallina and Donax trunculus), were taken over a period of 6 months from 27 production areas of the coast and analysis were performed according to ISO/TS 15216-1:2013. HAV presence was detected in 77 samples from 11 production areas and all positive results were related to samples collected in the first 3 months of the surveillance, during which HAV prevalence was 39.9% and values as high as 5096 genome copies/g were detected. A progressive reduction of viral contamination was evident during the first trimester of the monitoring, with prevalence decreasing from 78.8% in the first month, to 37.8% in the second and 3.9% in the third and quantitative levels reduced from an average value of 672 genome copies/g to 255 genome copies/g over a period of 4 weeks (virus half-life: 21.5 days). A regression analysis showed that, during the decreasing phase of the contamination, the data fitted a reciprocal quadratic model (Ra² = 0.921) and, based on the model, a residual presence of HAV could be estimated after negativization of the production areas. The statistical analysis of the results per shellfish species and per production area showed that there were limited differences in contamination prevalence and levels among diverse bivalve species, while a statistically significant difference was present in quantitative levels of one production area. These data could be useful for the development of both risk assessment models and code of practice for the management of viral contamination in primary production.     

Accumulation of trace elements in the peripheral and central parts of two species of epiphytic lichens transplanted to a polluted site in Portugal

This paper compares the dynamics, i.e. the rates of change in element concentrations of young and older lichen thallus parts, of one foliose and one fruticose lichen, during a transplant experiment to a polluted site. Both lichen parts respond to environmental changes. Here, differential accumulation suggests that differential constitution leads to differential uptake and release, and/or the overall behaviour is partly due to internal translocation and regulation mechanisms within the whole lichen. For thallus parts, internal translocation should be taken into account as one more factor affecting lichen “memory length”. Young parts of the thallus presented higher rates of change, but different lichen parts accumulate different elements to different extents. Therefore tissue selection in monitoring may depend on the element of interest, and cannot be made into a generalized approach in survey set-ups: the choice depends on the element.     

Evidence of a 2-day periodicity of striae formation in the tropical scallop Comptopallium radula using calcein marking

The periodicity of striae formation in the tropical scallop Comptopallium radula (Indo-West Pacific Ocean) was investigated with an in situ marking technique, using the calcein fluorochrome. To minimize scallop stress caused by excessive handling, in situ benthic chambers were used for marking experiments. Once marked, scallops (shell height range: 38.4–75.8 mm) remained on site in a large benthic enclosure and were collected at regular time intervals to count new striae formed after marking, over a period of 3 months. A 3-h exposure period with calcein (150 mg l⁻¹) was sufficiently long to create a detectable mark in nearly all shells. It was, however, impossible to count the striae in 48.2% of the shells (mainly large specimens) because of a very small growth after marking. Lack of significant mortality during the experiments indicated that tested calcein concentrations were not lethal. A decrease in shell growth rate was observed after marking but the respective impacts of calcein toxicity and changes in environmental conditions could not be discriminated. Our results suggest that in situ calcein marking inside benthic chambers is suitable for shell growth studies of scallops, provided the latter are not too old. After marking, the juvenile C. radula formed an average of one stria every 2.1 days in summer. Reports of 2-day periodicity in biological rhythms are rare. Striae formation in C. radula may be controlled by an endogenous oscillator, synchronized by an environmental cue acting as a zeitgeber, such as seawater temperature or sea level pressure, both of which exhibit 2-day variations in the Pacific Ocean. As in many other scallop species, C. radula forms striae periodically under natural conditions, but this study shows that in pectinid juveniles, this periodicity can deviate from a daily cycle. These results suggest that C. radula shells have tremendous potential for recording environmental conditions during periods ranging from months to a few years and with a resolution of 2 days.     

生物质组成差异对生活垃圾厌氧产甲烷化的影响

采用批式实验,通过分析液相性质和产气过程,比较了生活垃圾中2 类主要的生物质组分(食物类废物和纤维类废物)及其不同含量在厌氧降解时甲烷生成过程的差异.结果表明,食物类废物累积产甲烷量远高于纤维类废物,其有机物的快速水解酸化,为快速产甲烷化提供了必要的底物.纤维类废物产甲烷速率相对较低,水解是其厌氧产甲烷化过程的控制步骤.生活垃圾的产甲烷量可以根据食物类废物和纤维类废物的比例推算而得,食物类废物含量越高,其累积产甲烷量越大.采用厌氧消化工艺有利于含食物类废物量高的垃圾的能量回收,而因食物类废物快速水解导致的液相挥发性有机酸积累是该工艺必须解决的关键性技术问题.     

含水率对生活垃圾甲烷化过程的影响

采用批式实验,通过分析产气量和气、液相组成的变化,比较了含水率分别在35%、65%～70%（田间持水率）、 80%和>95%（饱和含水率）的条件下,不同食物类废物和纤维素类废物含量的典型法国生活垃圾和中国生活垃圾以及纤维素类废物厌氧产甲烷过程的差异.结果表明,对于含易腐有机物的生活垃圾,提高含水率能够削弱VFA等中间产物对水解酸化和甲烷化的抑制作用：典型法国生活垃圾大量产甲烷所需的含水率不应低于80%,而有机物含量更高的典型中国生活垃圾直至含水率达到96%时,反应体系内快速产甲烷过程才能得以进行;同时,提高生活垃圾的含水率也有利于加速其厌氧产甲烷过程和提高甲烷的最终产量,含水率>95%的法国生活垃圾反应体系的最终甲烷产量是含水率为80%时产量的1.6倍.而对于纤维素类废物,提高含水率则能改善水分在水解和酸化过程中的可获得性,从而增大甲烷化的底物可获得量,含水率>95%的纤维素类废物反应体系的甲烷最终产量是含水率为65%时产量的3.8倍.