Desorption kinetics of neutral hydrophobic organic compounds from field-contaminated sediment

The chemical release rates from a field-contaminated sediment (Lake Charles, LA) using Tenax desorption were studied. Two dichlorobenzenes (m-, p-), hexachlorobutadiene, and hexachlorobenzene were investigated. Contrary to reports that sorption rates are inversely related to K(OW), the slow desorption rates were found to be similar for the four compounds. The data were modeled by a two-compartment irreversible adsorption and radial diffusion model. Desorption kinetics from the first irreversible compartment can be modeled by radial diffusion and assume an irreversible adsorption constant and soil tortuosity of 4.3. The desorption half-life is approximately 2-7 days. Desorption from the second irreversible compartment is very slow (half-life of approximately 0.32-8.62 years) presumably caused by entrapment in soil organic matter that increases the constrictivity of the solid phase to chemical diffusion. From the kinetic data, it is deduced that the diffusion pore diameter of the second irreversible compartment is approximately equal to the critical molecular diameter. The mass of chemicals in this highly constrictive irreversible compartment is approximately one-fourth of the maximum irreversible, or resistant, compartment. The slow kinetics observed in this study add additional support to the notion that the irreversibly sorbed chemicals are 'benign' to the environment.     

Control of reproduction in social insect colonies: individual and collective relatedness preferences in the paper wasp, Polistes annularis

Social insect colonies often have one or a few queens. How these queens maintain their reproductive monopoly, when other colony members could gain by sharing in the reproduction, is not generally known. DNA microsatellite genotyping is used to determine reproductive interests of various classes of colony members in the paper wasp, Polistes annularis. The relatedness estimates show that the best outcome for most individuals is to be the reproductive egg-layer. For workers, this depends on the sex of offspring: they should prefer to lay their own male eggs, but are indifferent if the queen lays the female eggs. The next-best choice is usually to support the current queen. As a rule, subordinates and workers should prefer the current queen to reproduce over other candidates (though subordinates have no strong preference for the queen over other subordinates, and workers may prefer other workers as a source of male eggs). This result supports the theory that reproductive monopoly stems from the collective preferences of non-reproductives, who suppress each other in favor of the queen. However, we reject the general hypothesis of collective worker control in this species because its predictions about who should succeed after the death of the present queen are not upheld. The first successor is a subordinate foundress even though workers should generally prefer a worker successor. If all foundresses have died, an older worker succeeds as queen, in spite of a collective worker preference for a young worker. The results support the previous suggestion that age serves as a conventional cue serving to reduce conflict over queen succession. Received: 3 May 1996 / Accepted after revision: 22 September 1996     

水稻不同生育期As胁迫下As累积关键生育期

水稻不同生育期对As的吸收累积差异明显.为研究水稻糙米As累积的关键生育期,明确不同生育期吸收累积As对糙米As累积的贡献,本研究通过水培试验,分别在水稻分蘖期（30 d）、拔节期（16 d）、孕穗期（13 d）、灌浆期（17 d）、蜡熟期（15 d）、成熟期（13 d）和全生育期（104 d）添加外源As,及不添加外源As处理作为对照CK.结果表明：①不同生育期As胁迫对水稻植株生物量有显著影响,与对照CK相比,单一时期As胁迫处理中仅分蘖期As胁迫处理下植株生物量增加,其他处理均降低,其中孕穗期As胁迫处理最低,所有单一时期As胁迫处理植株生物量均高于全生育时期As胁迫下植株生物量;②6个单一时期As胁迫处理糙米中As含量均高于对照CK糙米中As含量,范围为0.08~0.24 mg ·kg^-1,其中孕穗期As胁迫处理糙米As含量最高,为全生育时期As胁迫处理糙米As含量的64.9%;③6个单一时期As胁迫处理糙米As的累积量均高于对照CK,范围为1.4~4.5 μg ·株^-1,其中孕穗期As胁迫处理糙米As累积量最高,其次是灌浆期,而全生育时期As胁迫处理糙米As累积量为5.7 μg ·株^-1,高于所有单一时期As胁迫处理糙米As的累积量;④水稻孕穗期累积的As对水稻成熟期糙米中As累积量的相对贡献率最大,为40.3%,其次为灌浆期,相对贡献率为26.0%,孕穗期和灌浆期是水稻成熟期糙米As累积的关键生育期.     

谷壳灰对稻田土壤镉、砷生物有效性及糙米镉、砷累积的影响

为研究富硅材料谷壳灰（HA）对稻田土壤Cd、As生物有效性及糙米中Cd、As累积的影响,以稻壳为原料制备中性HA（总硅量6.26×10⁵ mg·kg^-1）,开展水稻盆栽试验.HA按质量比设置4个添加水平（0、0.5%、1%、2%）,种植3种水稻（黄华占、湘晚籼13、隆优4945）.研究结果表明：①在土壤Cd总量为2.30 mg·kg^-1、As总量为90.45 mg·kg^-1的复合污染土壤中,HA施用后,与对照相比,土壤Cd的TCLP提取态、CaCl₂提取态及酸可提取态含量呈现不同程度的降低,分别降低了7.8%~18.7%、7.4%~18.7%、0.9%~16.7%;土壤As的交换态和TCLP提取态含量也有降低,分别降低了6.1%~47.1%、4.3%~26.7%.②HA施用可促进土壤中酸可提取态Cd向难溶态Cd的转变,水稻湘晚籼13、隆优4945根际土壤残渣态Cd含量分别增大9.8%~23.5%、5.9%~28.1%;土壤中As主要以残渣态存在,HA的施用对土壤专性吸附As含量有增大效应.③HA施用能够降低糙米中Cd和无机As含量,施用0.5%~2% HA能使水稻隆优4945和湘晚籼13糙米Cd含量降低到0.2 mg·kg^-1以下,施用2% HA能使黄华占糙米无机As含量降低到0.2 mg·kg^-1以下.施用HA能够有效降低土壤Cd、As生物有效性和糙米Cd、As含量,同时增大土壤有效Si含量,有利于提高土壤质量.     

施加盐基离子调控水稻Cd的吸收与累积

盐基离子含量是土壤肥力的重要指标,也是决定土壤Cd生物有效性的重要因素.为探明盐基离子对稻田系统中Cd迁移、转运与累积的影响,本研究通过水稻盆栽试验,按照土壤中盐基离子的物质的量比施加不同浓度梯度KCl、CaCl_2、NaCl和MgCl_2到模拟制备的轻度(0.5 mg·kg~(-1))和中度(1.5 mg·kg~(-1))Cd污染土壤,分析盐基离子对土壤CaCl_2提取态Cd含量和水稻吸收累积Cd的影响.结果表明:施加盐基离子能够增加土壤阳离子交换量(CEC),在轻度和中度Cd污染土壤中,土壤CaCl_2提取态Cd含量分别下降了24.6%～56.1%和17.0%～71.1%,糙米Cd含量分别降低了9.1%～60.5%和7.2%～36.0%.在轻度和中度Cd污染土壤中,糙米Cd含量与土壤CaCl_2提取态Cd含量之间存在线性正相关关系,根、茎、叶Cd含量与Ca含量均呈线性负相关.     

交联淀粉微球微波辅助反相乳液法合成及性能研究

以甲基紫吸附去除效率作为考核指标,研究了淀粉(ST)、交联剂N,N’-亚甲基双丙烯酰胺(MBAA)、引发剂(K2S2O8/NaHSO3)用量、聚合温度以及聚合反应时间等因素对微波辅助反相乳液法制备交联淀粉微球(CSM)的影响,利用傅里叶红外光谱仪(FT-IR)、电镜扫描仪(SEM)、比表面积分析仪等对CSM进行了表征,对比了优化条件下水浴和微波两种不同加热方式合成CSM的吸附效率.结果表明,MBAA成功与淀粉交联成类球状聚合物,聚合微球平均粒径约为9.253μm,聚合微球明显增加了微孔面积,微波加热合成的CSM对甲基紫的吸附率高于水浴加热合成的CSM.     

Historical perspectives on contemporary human–environment dynamics in southeast Africa

The human communities and ecosystems of island and coastal southeast Africa face significant and linked ecological threats. Socioecological conditions of concern to communities, governments, nongovernmental organizations, and researchers include declining agricultural productivity, deforestation, introductions of non-native flora and fauna, coastal erosion and sedimentation, damage to marine environments, illegal fishing, overfishing, waste pollution, salinization of freshwater supplies, and rising energy demands, among others. Human–environment challenges are connected to longer, often ignored, histories of social and ecological dynamics in the region. We argue that these challenges are more effectively understood and addressed within a longer-term historical ecology framework. We reviewed cases from Madagascar, coastal Kenya, and the Zanzibar Archipelago of fisheries, deforestation, and management of human waste to encourage increased engagement among historical ecologists, conservation scientists, and policy makers. These case studies demonstrate that by widening the types and time depths of data sets we used to investigate and address current socioecological challenges, our interpretations of their causes and strategies for their mitigation varied significantly.     

Trace element concentrations in tree rings as indicators of environmental pollution

Proton induced X-ray emission spectroscopy has been successfully used to measure variations in relative and absolute trace element concentration levels in tree rings. Valuable information on past concentration levels, stored in the tree rings have been obtained. Peaks associated with 15 elements have been identified in all X-ray spectra. Variations of trace elements levels in the tree rings reflect the variations in their availability from the environment.     

Feasibility study of the separation of chlorinated films from plastic packaging wastes

This study describes the possible separation of chlorinated plastic films (PVC and PVDC) from other heavy plastic packaging waste (PPW) by selective twist formation and gravity separation. Twists formation was mechanically induced in chlorinated plastic films, whereas twist formation did not occur in PS and PET films. After twist formation, all the films had the apparent density of less than 1.0 g/cm³ and floated in water even though the true density was more than 1.0 g/cm³. However, the apparent density of the PS and the PET films increased with agitation to more than 1.0 g/cm³, whereas that of chlorinated plastic films was kept less than 1.0 g/cm³. The main reason would be the air being held inside the chlorinated plastic films which was difficult to be removed by agitation. Simple gravity separation after twist formation was applied for artificial film with 10 wt.% of the chlorinated films and real PPW films with 9 wt.% of the chlorinated films. About 76 wt.% of the artificial PPW films and 75 wt.% of real PPW films after the removal of PP and PE were recovered as settling fraction with 4.7 wt.% and 3.0 wt.% of chlorinated plastic films, respectively. These results indicate that simple gravity separation process after twist formation can be used to reduce the chlorinated plastic concentration from mixed heavy PPW films.