Suppressive effect of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls transfer from feed to eggs of laying hens by activated carbon as feed additive

In this study, we investigated the suppressive effect of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) transfer from the feed to the eggs of laying hens by using activated carbon as a feed additive. Four groups of six hens (White Leghorn egg-layers; age, 11 weeks) were housed as two control groups and two exposure groups for a period of 20 weeks. Two control groups were fed with either the basal feed “Control” or basal feed additing activated carbon “Control + C”. Another two exposure groups were fed with feed contaminated (about 6 ng TEQ kg⁻¹ feed) by standard solutions of PCDDs/PCDFs and DL-PCBs “Exposure” alone and contaminated feed adding activated carbon “Exposure + C”. There was no significant effect on each groups for the growth rate, biochemical blood components, and egg production: these were around the standard levels for poultry in general. Moreover the results in this study showed the availability of activated carbon as a feed additive owing to the reduction in the risk of food pollution by PCDDs/PCDFs and DL-PCBs. The concentration in the eggs of the Exposure group gradually increased following the start of egg-laying but reached a steady state after about 1 month. In contrast, the concentration for the Exposure + C group was stationary and below the maximum EU level (6 pg TEQ g⁻¹ fat). In comparison to the Exposure group, the Exposure + C group showed a significant decline in the percentage of bioaccumulation into the egg. This reduction due to activated carbon was also observed in the muscle and abdominal fat. The reductions were compound- and congener-dependent for DL-PCBs as follows: PCDDs/PCDFs, non-ortho-PCBs, and mono-ortho-PCBs were more than 90%, 80%, and 50%, respectively, irrespective of the type of tissues. Fat soluble vitamin concentrations in the eggs of the Exposure + C group showed lower trends than the Exposure group. The γ-tocopherol and α-tocopherol concentrations in eggs of Exposure + C group showed a significant reduction of about 40%. However, the addition of activated carbon into animal feed could obviate the remote potential for accidents causing unintentional food pollution with PCDDs/PCDFs and DL-PCBs.     

Integrating affective values to sustainable behaviour focused on Kansei engineering

Due to the changes and complications of emerging society, designers are required not only to know about their design values, but also understand the link between their design and the impacts on the users. This paper aims to show a Kansei focused proposition for sustainable behaviour. By investigating the relationship between Subjective Preference (Like-Dislike) and product evaluation, it shows how affective values, which are used in Kansei engineering researches, influence user’s preferences. In this study, it was considering (1) various factors of product (e.g. the view variation and blackness of products), and (2) Reality Sets (Uninominal–Binominal). Car-front-face, car-side, car-multi-aspect (as Uninominal Reality Sets) and combinations of car front and side (as Binominal Reality Sets) were used as stimuli. The experiment consists of item screening and product evaluation. Subjects were participated in both. The aim of item screening was at selecting subjectively preferred/non-preferred images. Images, which were screened through item screening, were reconciliated per subject. The aim of product evaluation was at investigating if Subjective Preference has related to product evaluation. Semantic Differential method was used as product evaluation method. Evaluation values were preference, aesthetic and pleasure. The findings shows: (1) Subjective Preference is related to product evaluation independently in Uninominal Reality Sets, whereas Subjective Preference is related to product evaluation dependently in Binominal Reality Sets (2) partial preferred images influence product evaluation in Uninominal Reality Sets, whereas Binominal Reality Sets do not influence it.     

Changes in water-extractability of soil inorganic phosphate induced by chloride and sulfate salts

GOAL, SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: One of the principal experimental variables which effect the results of phosphorus (P) sorption studies is the ionic composition, in addition to both species and concentrations of the contacting solution. In spite of the realization that ionic species, concentrations and their compositions effect P sorption and/or desorption, most of the salt-related studies are confined to Cl- (anion) in association with different cations. While the knowledge about the comparative response of P to Cl- and SO4(2-) ions was lacking, the current study was conducted to evaluate the comparative effects of anions (in association with cations) on inorganic P release and P fractions in the soil. METHODS: The test soil was amended with livestock compost manure (OP); KH2PO4 (IPk) or Ca(H2PO4)2 (IPc) at a rate of 1ppm. Soil was subjected to one salt and nine subsequent water extractions and different P fractions were measured. Four salt types, NaCl, Na2SO4, KCl and K2SO4, were used at levels of 0.5 M. RESULTS: Irrespective of P sources, P release was substantially increased in the salt-pretreated soil as compared to the non-saline soil. Sulfate salts released more P in subsequent water extractions than Cl-. Phosphorus release decreased for salt types with Na2SO4 > NaCl > K2SO4 > KCl and for P sources with OP approximately IPk > Control (without P application) > IPc, respectively. DISCUSSION: No previous study was found to compare the results of more P release by SO4(2-) than Cl- salt. Most of the previous studies focused on anion sorption capacities, but the mechanism for their adsorption is not fully known. Most of the authors suggested that the mechanisms of SO4(2-) and PO4(3-) adsorption are similar, and that both ions compete for the same sorption sites (Kamprath et al. 1956, Couto et al. 1979, Pasricha and Fox 1993). Although adsorbed SO4(2-) does not compete strongly with PO4(3-), there is likely to be some competition for sorption between these anions which may cause comparatively more P release by SO4(2-) than Cl- salts. Higher P release by Na-saturation could be due to the release of P associated with oxide surfaces or due to dissolution of Ca-P phases (Curtin et al. 1987). CONCLUSIONS: Study clearly showed that not only cations species differ for P desorption capacity, but associated anions also play a vital role in the fate of P under saline environments. Synergetic effects exist between Na and SO4(2-) ions which enhanced the P release. This study has also confirmed the fact that P from organic sources is available as well as from inorganic P sources. However, P release depends more on the type of P source applied than on total P. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: It is highly recommended that more than one anion species must be used in the research plans for evaluating the P response in a saline environment. The results have important implications from the point of view of research, as most of the researchers focus on different cations only for evaluating P response to salts from an environmental point of view. However, our study has made it clear that anions in association with cations differed for their effects on P release.     

Influence of model grid resolution on NO2 vertical column densities over East Asia

NO₂ vertical column densities (VCDs) over East Asia in June and December 2007 were simulated by the Community Multi-scale Air Quality (CMAQ) version 4.7.1 using an updated and more elaborate version of the Regional Emission Inventory in Asia (REAS) version 2. The modeling system could reasonably capture observed spatiotemporal changes of NO₂ VCDs by satellite sensors, the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment-2 (GOME-2), the Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Cartography (SCIAMACHY), and the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), even at the coarsest horizontal resolution of 80 km. The CMAQ simulations were performed in a sequence of three horizontal resolutions (80 km, 40 km, and 20 km) for June and December 2007 to investigate the influence of changes of horizontal resolution on the obtained NO₂ VCDs. CMAQ-simulated NO₂ VCDs generally increased with improvements in resolution from 80 km to 40 km and then to 20 km. Increases in the CMAQ-simulated NO₂ VCDs were greater for the change from 80 km to 40 km than for those from 40 km and 20 km, in which the increases of NO₂ VCDs due to the improvement of horizontal resolution were approached convergence at the horizontal resolution of approximately 20 km. Conversely, no clear convergences in NO₂ VCDs changes were found at near Tokyo and over the East China Sea. The biases of the NO₂ VCDs simulated at a resolution of 20 km against the satellite retrievals were ～36% near Beijing (CHN1) and ～78% near Shanghai (CHN2) in summer; these errors were found to be comparable to the horizontal resolution-dependent errors, which were 18–25% at CHN1 and 44–58% at CHN2 from 80 km to 40 km. Conversely, the influence of changes of horizontal resolution in winter was relatively less compared to that in summer.

Implications: NO₂ VCDs over East Asia in June and December 2007 were simulated using CMAQ version 4.7.1 and REAS version 2. The modeling system could reasonably capture observed spatiotemporal changes of NO₂ VCDs by satellite sensors. The CMAQ simulations were performed in a sequence of three horizontal resolutions, 80, 40, and 20 km, to investigate the influence of changes of horizontal resolution on the obtained NO₂ VCDs. The results suggested that the influence of changes of horizontal resolution was larger in summer compared to that in winter. The magnitude of the influence was comparable to the biases of the NO₂ VCDs simulated at a resolution of 20 km against the satellite retrievals.     

滇池和洱海湖滨带水生植被状况与水质的关系研究

在滇池和洱海的湖滨带各设置了6个具有不同水生植被状况的采样点,于2010年8月-2011年5月对水温、pH、ORP、电导率、营养盐(总氮和总磷)、叶绿素a及3种DNA病毒等水质指标进行了现场或采样分析。结果表明,两湖泊中营养盐含量高的湖滨带(滇池草海和洱海沙坪湾),由于水生植物覆盖度高,湖水保持了叶绿素a含量低的状态。对洱海湖滨带的水质分析结果表明,洱海水质有较明显的季节性变化。分析表明,与水温相比,营养盐浓度可能是影响藻类生物量的更重要的因素。3种DNA病毒检测结果初步表明,水生植物不仅能控藻,而且对病毒也有抑制作用。     

GHG emission pathways until 2300 for the 1.5 °C temperature rise target and the mitigation costs achieving the pathways

The Paris Agreement of the 21st Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change refers to the 1.5 °C target as well as the 2 °C target, and it is important to estimate the emission pathways and mitigation measures for the 1.5 °C target for the discussions on the target. The possible emission pathways vary widely because of the uncertainties involved. We assumed three kinds of temperature trajectories for meeting below 1.5 °C compared with the pre-industrial level, and three numbers for the climate sensitivity. The first trajectory remains below 1.5 °C all the time until 2300, the second overshoots but returns to below 1.5 °C by 2100, and the third overshoots but returns to below 1.5 °C by 2300. There are large differences in terms of 2030 emissions between the estimate from the submitted Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and any of assessed emission pathways involving climate sensitivity of 3.0 °C or higher, and high emission reduction costs were estimated, even for 2030. With climate sensitivity of 2.5 °C, only the third trajectory exhibits consistent emissions in 2030 with the NDCs. However, this case also appears very difficult to achieve, requiring enormous amounts of negative emissions after the middle of this century toward 2300. A climate mitigation strategy aiming for the 1.5 °C target will be debatable, because we face serious difficulties in near- or/and long-term for all the possible emission pathways, and therefore, we should rather focus on actual emission reduction activities than on the 1.5 °C target with poor feasibility.     

Significant geographic gradients in particulate sulfate over Japan determined from multiple-site measurements and a chemical transport model: Impacts of transboundary pollution from the Asian continent

We found a significant geographic gradient (longitudinal and latitudinal) in the sulfate (SO₄^2?) concentrations measured at multiple sites over the East Asian Pacific Rim region. Furthermore, the observed gradient was well reproduced by a regional chemical transport model. The observed and modeled SO₄^2? concentrations were higher at the sites closer to the Asian continent. The concentrations of SO₄^2? from China as calculated by the model also showed the fundamental features of the longitudinal/latitudinal gradient. The proportional contribution of Chinese SO₄^2? to the total in Japan throughout the year was above 50–70% in the control case, using data for Chinese sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emission from the Regional Emission Inventory in Asia (40–60% in the low Chinese emissions case, using Chinese SO₂ emissions data from the State Environmental Protection Administration of China), with a winter maximum of approximately 65–80%, although the actual concentrations of SO₄^2? from China were highest in summer. The multiple-site measurements and the model analysis strongly suggest that the SO₄^2? concentrations in Japan were influenced by the outflow from the Asian continent, and this influence was greatest in the areas closer to the Asian continent. In contrast, we found no longitudinal/latitudinal gradient in SO₂ concentrations; instead SO₂ concentrations were significantly correlated with local SO₂ emissions. Our results show that large amounts of particulate sulfate are transported over long distances from the East Asian Pacific Rim region, and consequently the SO₄^2? concentrations in Japan are controlled by the transboundary outflow from the Asian continent.     

Public acceptance and risk-benefit perception of CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> geological storage for global warming mitigation in Japan

CO₂ geological storage will be one of the cost-effective options for global warming mitigation, and this technology is under development widely in the world. However, the technology may face the challenge of public acceptance before its implementation. In order to evaluate the public acceptance, questionnaire surveys were conducted among Japanese university students. A cognitive map of geological storage, together with other major global warming mitigation options, everyday life activities, etc., was constructed by means of a statistical analysis of the responses to the questionnaire. The risk-benefit cognitive map consists of the following factors: “risk perception,” “benefit perception,” and “public acceptance.” The risk perception is further disaggregated into “dread risk” and “unknown risk.” Additionally, a second survey was conducted after providing the students with additional information on global warming and CO₂ geological storage, and the effects of the information on their perceptions were evaluated. The effects of risk and benefit perceptions on public acceptance were evaluated and discussed based on the cognitive maps representing the perceptions before and after providing the information. The analyses revealed that the benefit perception was more influential than the risk perception on the public acceptance of CO₂ geological storage. The benefit perception increased greatly after providing the information; however, the unknown risk remained considerably large. Further, RD&D relating unknown risk, for example, the monitoring technology for stored CO₂ and the risk assessment of CO₂ leakage, and the supply of related information to the public would be beneficial for increasing the public acceptance.     

Sulfur isotopic variations in soft tissues of five benthic animals from the reductive,tidal-flat sediments in northern Kyushu,Japan

The sulfur nutrition of five benthic animals living in or on reductive, tidal-flat sediments has been studied by using the sulfur isotopic signatures of their soft tissues. The mean '³⁴S values (+6.1‰ to +13.8‰, relative to the Cañyon Diablo troilite reference) of these animals' tissues are lower than those of many common marine animals, which have values close to those of seawater sulfate-sulfur (+21‰). This indicates that these animals use a ³⁴S-depleted sulfur source, which may be derived from bacterial sulfide in the sediments (less than -20‰). The animals that inhabit such sediments are adapted to an anoxic environment, where toxic hydrogen sulfide prevails. Due to the sulfide-rich habitat, benthic animals are expected to assimilate hydrogen sulfide directly during detoxification, or to prefer a diet which has a low '³⁴S signature. Variations in '³⁴S values of the sampled molluscs were fairly small, whereas migratory shrimp and fish tended to have larger variations, implying that migratory animals feed on diverse prey, while the molluscs feed on a common food, or their assimilative capacity for sulfide-sulfur does not vary among individuals. A gastropod inhabiting the surface of the reductive sediment showed a distinctively low '³⁴S value (+5.8‰ to +6.4‰), indicating that the animal fed on detritus from reeds and halophytes with low '³⁴S values (-19.1‰ to -2.1‰). This study suggests that some benthic animals incorporate sulfide-sulfur for their nutrition and that sulfur isotope composition can be a useful indicator in the analysis of the food habitat of animals.