Residual levels of DDTs and PAHs in freshwater and marine fish from Hong Kong markets and their health risk assessment

Axial and ventral muscle from 10 each species of freshwater and marine fish purchased from markets in Hong Kong were analyzed for dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (total DDTs including DDE, DDD and DDT) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Among the 10 freshwater fish species, rice field eel (Monopterus albus) showed significantly higher levels of DDTs in both ventral (125 ng/g wet wt) and axial muscle (127 ng/g wet wt) than the other species. The highest concentration of PAHs was detected in catfish (Clarias fuscus), with 24.8 ng/g in ventral muscle and 9.1 ng/g in axial muscle. As to marine fish, snubnose pompano (Trachinotus blochii) showed significantly higher levels of DDT and its metabolites (1018 ng/g in ventral and 409 ng/g wet wt in axial tissues) than all other marine fish species. The overall concentrations of PAHs in marine fish species were 15.5-57.0 ng/g (axial muscle) and 18.1-118 ng/g wet wt (ventral muscle) where yellow seafin (Acanthopeyrus latus) and golden threadfin bream (Nemipterus virgatus) exhibited the highest concentrations of PAHs in the axial and ventral muscles, respectively. In general, results showed that levels of PAHs in Hong Kong market fish was low and do not expect to cause any concern for human consumption. However, the levels of DDTs in fish samples ranged from 1.10 to 1018 ng/g wet wt, and based on a fish consumption rate of 142.2g/day to calculate the screening value of 14.4 ng/g wet wt for human consumption (USEPA, 2000. Guidance for assessing chemical contaminant, data for use in fish advisories, vol. 1: fish sampling and analysis, third ed. EPA 823-R-95-007. Office of Water, Washington, DC), there were 9 out of 20 (45%) muscle samples of freshwater fish species and 14 out of 20 (70%) muscle samples of marine fish species had elevated levels of DDTs exceeded the screening value. It was also suggested to use ventral muscle for detecting concentrations of persistent organic pollutants in fish.     

UASB处理离子交换树脂生产废水的试验研究

本研究主要介绍，尝试采用UASB（Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Bed）反应器厌氧工艺处理某离子交换树脂生产废水试验。研究表明，在中温（37℃±1）环境下，容积负荷在6．0-7．0kgCODcr·m^-3·d^-1时，CODcr去除率维持在80％左右，运行稳定。本试验取得的试验效果，为以后的利用厌氧技术处理离子交换树脂生产废水提供了重要依据。     

催化臭氧氧化法处理甲醛废水

用异丙醇钛盐表面改性法制备TiO2／SiO2催化剂，对甲醛废水进行催化臭氧氧化处理。通过比表面积的BET测定法、X射线衍射和拉曼光谱等分析方法对TiO2／SiO2催化剂进行了表征，考察了TiO2／SiO2催化剂加入量、臭氧流量及溶液pH等因素对甲醛催化臭氧氧化效果的影响。实验结果表明，在SiO2表面，TiO2微晶粒子以锐钛矿型高度分散；在甲醛质量浓度700mg／L、COD1000mg／L、TiO2／SiO2催化剂加入量2．0g、臭氧流量2．5mg／min、溶液pH8．5的条件下，催化臭氧氧化反应30min后，甲醛质量浓度由700mg／L降至39mg／L，COD去除率认到87．5％．     

Effects of aluminum on physiological metabolism and antioxidant system of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

We have found that rice bran effectively adsorbed chloroform from tap water. The amount of chloroform adsorbed was plotted against the equilibrium concentration of chloroform in solution on a logarithmic scale. A linear relationship was obtained, indicating that the adsorption reaction was a Freundlich type. The removal of chloroform by rice bran was attributed to the uptake into intracellular particles called spherosomes.     

临界距离老空水下薄煤层联合开采安全性分析

以现场实测结果为基础 ,利用数值模拟与反演方法分析了薄煤层联合开采的顶、底板破坏范围。根据分析的结果评价了临界距离老空水下薄煤层联合开采的安全性。     

Variations in global temperature and precipitation for the period of 1948 to 2010

Climate change has impacts on both natural and human systems. Accurate information regarding variations in precipitation and temperature is essential for identifying and understanding these potential impacts. This research applied Mann–Kendall, rescaled range analysis and wave transform methods to analyze the trends and periodic properties of global and regional surface air temperature (SAT) and precipitation (PR) over the period of 1948 to 2010. The results show that 65.34 % of the area studied exhibits significant warming trends (p?<?0.05) while only 3.18 % of the area exhibits significant cooling trends. The greatest warming trends are observed in Antarctica (0.32 °C per decade) and Middle Africa (0.21 °C per decade). Notably, 62.26 % of the area became wetter, while 22.01 % of the area shows drying trends. Northern Europe shows the largest precipitation increase, 12.49 mm per decade. Western Africa shows the fastest drying, ?21.05 mm per decade. The rescaled range analysis reveals large areas that show persistent warming trends; this behavior in SAT is more obvious than that in PR. Wave transform results show that a 1-year period of SAT variation dominates in all regions, while inconsistent 0.5-year bands are observed in East Asia, Middle Africa, and Southeast Asia. In PR, significant power in the wavelet power spectrum at a 1-year period was observed in 17 regions, i.e., in all regions studied except Western Europe, where precipitation is instead characterized by 0.5-year and 0.25-year periods. Overall, the variations in SAT and PR can be consistent with the combined impacts of natural and anthropogenic factors, such as atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, the internal variability of climate system, and volcanic eruptions.     

Coupling urban 3-D information and circuit theory to advance the development of urban ecological networks

Ongoing, rapid urban growth accompanied by habitat fragmentation and loss challenges biodiversity conservation and leads to decreases in ecosystem services. Application of the concept of ecological networks in the preservation and restoration of connections among isolated patches of natural areas is a powerful conservation strategy. However, previous approaches often failed to objectively consider the impacts of complex 3-D city environments on ecological niches. We used airborne lidar-derived information on the 3-D structure of the built environment and vegetation and detailed land use and cover data to characterize habitat quality, niche diversity, and human disturbance and to predict habitat connectivity among 38 identified habitat core areas (HCAs) in Nanjing, China. We used circuit theory and Linkage Mapper to create a landscape resistance layer, simulate habitat connectivity, and identify and prioritize important corridors. We mapped 64 links by using current flow centrality to evaluate each HCA's contribution and the links that facilitate intact connectivity. Values were highest for HCA links located in the west, south, and northeast of the study area, where natural forests with complex 3-D structures predominate. Two smaller HCA areas had high centrality scores relative to their extents, which means they could act as important stepping stones in connectivity planning. The mapped pinch-point regions had narrow and fragile links among the HCAs, suggesting they require special protection. The barriers with the highest impact scores were mainly located at the HCA connections to Purple Mountain and, based on these high scores, are more likely to indicate important locations that can be restored to improve potential connections. Our novel framework allowed us to sufficiently convey spatially explicit information to identify targets for habitat restoration and potential pathways for species movement and dispersal. Such information is critical for assessing existing or potential habitats and corridors and developing strategic plans to balance habitat conservation and other land uses based on scientifically informed connectivity planning and implementation.     

Growth characteristics of algae during early stages of phytoplankton bloom in Lake Taihu, China

Three treatments, sediment plus lake water (S+W), sterilized sediment plus lake water (SS+W), and sediment plus filtered lake water (S+FW), were recruited to investigate the growth characteristics of algae during pre-bloom and the importance of algal inocula in the water column and sediment. The results showed that in the water column, biomass of all algae increased in all treatments when recruitment was initiated, whereas this tendency differed among treatments with further increment of temperature. The process of algal growth consisted of two stages: Stage I, the onset of recruitment and Stage II, the subsequent growth of algae. Compared with S+W, in Stage I, SS+W significantly increased the biomass of cyanophytes by 178.70%, and decreased the biomass of non-cyanophytes by 43.40%; In Stage II, SS+W notably stimulated the growth of all algae, thus incurring the occurrence of phytoplankton bloom. Further analyses revealed that both metabolic activity and photochemical activity of algae were enhanced in SS+W, which resulted from the releasing of nutrients from sediment. These results suggest that algal growth in Stage II and algal inocula in the water column can be important factors for the formation of phytoplankton bloom. In addition, possible mechanisms promoting algal recruitment and subsequent growth of algae were explored.     

Joint effects of heavy metal binary mixtures on seed germination, root and shoot growth, bacterial bioluminescence, and gene mutation

This investigation was to assess the joint effects of metal binary mixtures on seed germination,root and shoot growth,bacterial bioluminescence,and gene mutation based on the one toxic unit(1 TU)approach.Different sensitivities and orders of toxicity of metal mixtures were observed among the bioassays.In general,mostly additive or antagonistic effects were observed,while almost no synergistic effects by the binary metal mixtures in all bioassays.Therefore,the combined effects of heavy metals in the different bioassays were difficult to generalize since they were dependent on both chemical type and the organism used in each bioassay.However, these results indicate that a battery of bioassays with mixture chemicals as opposed to just a single assay with single metal is a better strategy for the bioassessment of environmental pollutants.