A study of the distribution of lead, cadmium and copper between water and kaolin, bentonite and a river sediment

Experiments were carried out to monitor the equilibrium distribution of lead, cadmium and copper between an aqueous phase modelling natural water and a solid phase modelling natural sediment, under varying conditions. The aqueous phase was analysed using ETAAS and differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV), whereas XRD and FTIR were used to study the solid phase. Sorption isotherms at constant pH were measured. Conditional distribution constants were calculated as functions of the pH, the time of equilibration and the amount of solid material. The results obtained stress the need for standardization of the approaches to the study of water-sediment interactions in order to be able to evaluate and compare the extensive data from field measurements and to predict these interactions.     

Pool of Dust Particles over the Asian Continent: Balloon-borne Optical Particle Counter and Ground-based Lidar Measurements at Dunhuang, China

Measurements of aerosols were made in 2001 and 2002 at Dunhuang (40 degrees 00'N, 94 degrees 30'E), China to understand the nature of atmospheric particles over the desert areas in the Asian continent. Balloon-borne measurements with an optical particle counter suggested that particle size and concentration had noticeable peaks in super micron size range not only in the boundary mixing layer but also in the free troposphere. Super-micron particle concentration largely decreased in the mid tropopause (from 5 to 10 km; above sea level, a.s.l.). Lidar measurements made during August 2002 at Dunhuang suggested the possibility that mixing of dust particles occurred from near the ground to about 6 km even under calm weather conditions, and a large depolarization ratio of particulate matter was found in the aerosol layer. The top of the aerosol layer was found at heights of nearly 6 km (a.s.l.). It is strongly suggested that nonspherical dust particles (Kosa particles) frequently diffused in the free atmosphere over the Taklamakan desert through small-scale turbulences and are possible sources of dust particles of weak Kosa events that have been identified in the free troposphere not only in spring but also in summer over Japanese archipelago. Electron microscopic experiments of the particles collected in the free troposphere confirmed that coarse and nonspherical particles observed by the mineral particle were major components of coarse mode (diameter larger than 1 microm) below about 5 km over Dunhuang, China.     

Assessment of Metal Contamination in Doñana National Park (Spain) using Crayfish (Procamburus Clarkii)

Water quality assessment in the Aznalcollar area was attempted using multivariate methods based on heavy metal concentrations in red swamp crayfish (Procamburus clarkii). Trace levels of four heavy metals, copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), were detected in crayfish from eleven different stations. Principal component analysis (PCA) highlighted a gradient of contamination between the sampling stations. Cluster analysis (CA) distinguished three groups of stations. Discriminant analysis also differentiated three groups. The group centroids of the first discriminant function were used to devise an index that varies according to the source of the crayfish. These standardized values are proposed for use as a water quality index. The ability of this index to successfully predict environmental quality was proved with random samples.     

Environmental and sustainability indicators and the concept of situational indicators. A systems approach

Through a systems approach indicators are shown to have the nature of variables, adopting different values or states, while other associated terms allude to special meanings assigned to specific values of the indicators. Practical implications are discussed. The concept of situational indicators of sustainability is introduced, representing a non-numerical function of both “pressures” or “driving forces” and “state” variables. A cost-effective multi-tiered approach to situational indicators is proposed. The concept of situational indicators is shown to be a particular case of indicators of systems behavior. A general systems formulation of the problem of sustainability highlights the importance of indicators of systems behavior and the central role of models in their definition.     

Non-random nectar unloading interactions between foragers and their receivers in the honeybee hive

Nectar acquisition in the honeybee Apis mellifera is a partitioned task in which foragers gather nectar and bring it to the hive, where nest mates unload via trophallaxis (i.e. mouth-to-mouth transfer) the collected food for further storage. Because forager mates exploit different feeding places simultaneously, this study addresses the question of whether nectar unloading interactions between foragers and hive-bees are established randomly, as it is commonly assumed. Two groups of foragers were trained to exploit a different scented food source for 5 days. We recorded their trophallaxes with hive-mates, marking the latter ones according to the forager group they were unloading. We found non-random probabilities for the occurrence of trophallaxes between experimental foragers and hive-bees, instead, we found that trophallactic interactions were more likely to involve groups of individuals which had formerly interacted orally. We propose that olfactory cues present in the transferred nectar promoted the observed bias, and we discuss this bias in the context of the organization of nectar acquisition: a partitioned task carried out in a decentralized insect society.     

Land use as a mitigation strategy for the water-quality impacts of global warming: a scenario analysis on two watersheds in the Ohio River Basin

This study uses an integrative approach to study the water-quality impacts of future global climate and land-use changes. In this study, changing land-use types was used as a mitigation strategy to reduce the adverse impacts of global climate change on water resources. The climate scenarios were based on projections made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the United Kingdom Hadley Centre's climate model (HadCM2). The Thornthwaite water-balance model was coupled with a land-use model (L-THIA) to investigate the hydrologic effects of future climate and land-use changes in the Ohio River Basin. The land-use model is based on the Soil Conservation Service's curve-number method. It uses the curve number, an index of land use and soil type, to calculate runoff volume and depth. The ArcView programming language, Avenue, was used to integrate the two models into a geographic information system (GIS). An output of the water-balance model, daily precipitation values adjusted for potential evapotranspiration, served as one of the inputs into the land-use model. Two watersheds were used in the present study: one containing the city of Cincinnati on the main stem of the Ohio River, and one containing the city of Columbus on a tributary of the Ohio River. These cities represent two major metropolitan areas in the Ohio River Basin with different land uses experiencing different rates of population growth. The projected hypothetical land-use changes were based on linear extrapolations of current population data. Results of the analyses indicate that conversion from agricultural land use to low-density residential land use may decrease the amount of surface runoff. The land-use practices which generate the least amount of runoff are forest, low-density residential, and agriculture; whereas high-density residential and commercial land-use types produce the highest runoff. The hydrologic soil type present was also an important factor in determining the amount of runoff and non-point-source pollution. A runoff-depth matrix and total nitrogen matrix were created for Cincinnati and Columbus to describe possible land-use mitigation measures in response to global climate change. The differences in Cincinnati and Columbus were due to differences in geographic location, air temperature, and total runoff. The results of this study may be useful to planners and policy makers for defining the possible impacts of future global climate and land-use changes on water resources.     

如何用资料搜索器通过因特网来收集环境保护信息(英文)

资料搜索器是因特网中最有用的资源之一 ,了解资料搜索器如何工作以及如何用它们来寻找你所需要的信息是非常重要的 ,本文简要的描述八种资料搜索器以及如何高效的运用它们通过因特网来搜索有关环境保护信息。     

利用粉煤灰处理造纸中段废水的实验研究

采用保定热电厂粉煤灰处理某小型造纸厂中段废水,考察了粉煤灰处理造纸中段废水的效果,结果表明废水pH值为12、灰水接触时间为2h、原水COD(浓度为1200mg/L)稀释3、水灰比15:1、粉煤灰粒径71～100μm,粉煤灰含碳量为15%时,造纸中段废水中COD的去除率可达到76.2%～89.7%.     

Predator odour and its impact on male fertility and reproduction in Phodopus campbelli hamsters

 This study investigated the influence of cat urine odour in suppressing development and fertility in Campbell's hamster males. Exposure to this odour from postnatal day 11 until day 45 (sexual maturation) resulted in reduced sex organ weights, reduced testosterone levels and in an increase in abnormalities of the synaptonemal complex in both sex chromosomes and autosomes. Subsequent breeding experiments revealed a significant decrease in litter size. All these data indicate a severe effect of predator odour on the breeding success of potential prey species. It is assumed that these effects are caused by the sulphurous compounds in the urine; however, the underlying mechanisms are not yet known. Received: 31 January 2000 / Accepted in revised form: 6 June 2000     

Gold mining in Siberia and the Far East as a source of mercury contamination of the environment

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