Relationship between filtration activity and food availability in the Mediterranean mussel <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mytilus galloprovincialis</Emphasis>

The filtration activity of the Mediterranean mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis, was assessed under different concentrations and compositions of seston by using a new automated image acquisition and analysis system. This approach allowed for frequent and simultaneous measurements of valve gape and exhalant siphon area. Filtration rates were measured through clearance measurements whereas pumping rates were measured using hot-film probes. The average filtration rate (17.5 l g h⁻¹ DW⁻¹ for a 0.36 g DW mussel) recorded during the present study was higher than those available for Mytilus edulis when standardized to flesh dry weight but almost equivalent (17.5 l h⁻¹ g DW⁻¹ for a 53 mm shell length mussel) to those rates when standardized to shell length. Immediately after the addition of algal cells (Isochrysis galbana; 4.5 μm in size), valve gape, exhalant siphon area and filtration rate increased quickly as mussels reached their maximum filtration activity. These three parameters then gradually decreased until complete closure of the shell. The algal cell concentration inducing this transition was close to 800 cells ml⁻¹ and 0.5 μg Chl a l⁻¹. When algal concentration was maintained above this threshold by successive algal additions, both valve gape and exhalant siphon area remained maximal. Temporal changes in the exhalant siphon area were continuous as opposed to those of valve gape. Therefore, despite the significant correlation between these two parameters, valves and siphon were sometimes dissociated due to a reduction of the area or even a closure of the exhalant siphon while the valves remained open. The velocity of exhaled water tended to be constant irrespective of exhalant siphon area and thus pumping rates were a linear function of exhalant siphon area. Consequently, reductions in exhalant siphon area and pumping rate were almost similar in M. galloprovincialis. Our results thus clearly support the hypothesis that exhalant siphon area constitutes a better proxy of pumping rate than valve gape as already suggested for Mytilus edulis. Finally, the high filtration rates measured during the present study together with the high concentrations of inorganic matter (> 40 mg DW l⁻¹) requested to alter those rates suggest that the studied mussels were well adapted to oligotrophic waters featuring strong hydrodynamism and frequent sediment resuspension events.     

Using Demographic Invariants to Detect Overharvested Bird Populations from Incomplete Data

Abstract:  Conservation biology must be able to provide guidelines even when available data are incomplete, because data on rare and endangered species are usually limited. For instance, data on the effect of additional—human-induced—sources of mortality on vertebrate populations, such as bycatch of seabirds by longline fisheries, are typically incomplete. The importance of an additional source of mortality can be evaluated by comparing it with the maximum annual growth rate of the species of concern, and various authors have attempted to determine the maximum growth rate from incomplete data. We developed a procedure we call the "demographic invariant method" (DIM). First we determined that the maximum growth rate per generation does not vary, by recalling that it is a dimensionless number primarily independent of body weight and also by empirically establishing its near constancy over a restricted set of bird species for which reliable demographic information was available. This first step provided an implicit function linking generation time and maximum annual growth rate, from which we obtained the maximum annual growth rate as a simple function of generation time. From several different ways of obtaining estimates of generation time, we derived in turn several ways to estimate the maximum annual growth rate of a bird species from incomplete demographic data set. We applied our approach to the Black-footed Albatross (Phoebastria nigripes) and determined from incomplete data that longline fishery bycatch has a biologically significant impact on the growth potential of Black-footed Albatross populations. Our method can be applied broadly to the conservation and management of harvested bird populations.     

采用微机控制气相色谱法在野外进行稻田甲烷排放率的连续观测

介绍一套稻田甲烷排放率的野外全自动观测系统。该系统采用微机控制、气相色谱法，在供电正常的情况下，实现了稻田甲烷样品的自动采集和分析，同时配有八个温度传感器，以测量空气、水及土壤的温度。温度和甲烷测定数据由微机自动贮存，可长期连续工作，无需值守。本系统对稻田甲烷测量的标准偏差为２４５μＶ·Ｓ（峰面积），变异系数为１．１８％（ｎ＝５）。若将色谱条件做适当改变，即可测量其它微量气体。     

活性污泥数学模型中异养菌产率系数测定方法的研究

采用间歇活性污泥法和呼吸计量法测定活性污泥数学模型中异养菌产率系数.研究结果表明,间歇活性污泥法测定结果受试验控制条件特别是污泥有机负荷的影响非常大,且试验周期比较长;人工配水条件下,呼吸计量法测定异氧菌产率系数(YH)在0.71以上,比活性污泥数学模型推荐值高,其结果与底物性质有关,该方法准确性高,重现性良好.     

On the selection of primary variables in numerical formulation for modeling multiphase flow in porous media

Selecting the proper primary variables is a critical step in efficiently modeling the highly nonlinear problem of multiphase subsurface flow in a heterogeneous porous-fractured media. Current simulation and ground modeling techniques consist of (1) spatial discretization of mass and/or heat conservation equations using finite difference or finite element methods; (2) fully implicit time discretization; (3) solving the nonlinear, discrete algebraic equations using a Newton iterative scheme. Previous modeling efforts indicate that the choice of primary variables for a Newton iteration not only impacts computational performance of a numerical code, but may also determine the feasibility of a numerical modeling study in many field applications. This paper presents an analysis and general recommendations for selecting primary variables in simulating multiphase, subsurface flow for one-active phase (Richards' equation), two-phase (gas and liquid) and three-phase (gas, water and nonaqueous phase liquid or NAPL) conditions. In many cases, a dynamic variable switching or variable substitution scheme may have to be used in order to achieve optimal numerical performance and robustness. The selection of primary variables depends in general on the sensitivity of the system of equations to the variables selected at given phase and flow conditions. We will present a series of numerical tests and large-scale field simulation examples, including modeling one (active)-phase, two-phase and three-phase flow problems in multi-dimensional, porous-fractured subsurface systems.     

好氧颗粒污泥处理高浓度氨氮废水的研究

在不同接种源污泥颗粒化过程中污泥理化性状对比研究的基础上,采用成熟好氧颗粒污泥处理高浓度氨氮废水,对其脱氮行为以及不同C/N条件下好氧颗粒污泥微生物的比耗氧速率、好氧颗粒污泥对氨氮的比降解速率随时间的变化等进行了研究.实验结果表明,在进水氨氮质量浓度较高(480 mg/L)、温度30℃左右的条件下,稳定运行15 d,氨氮的去除率维持在85%左右;进水氨氮的浓度越高,随着微生物对环境的逐渐适应,硝化菌的活性也逐步增加;随着进水氨氮浓度的提高,好氧颗粒污泥对氨氮的比降解速率也逐渐上升.     

纳滤处理含Cr(VI)废水的试验研究

采用纳滤对含Cr(Ⅵ)废水进行试验研究,讨论了初始浓度、pH、浓差极化、共存离子对处理效果的影响.试验结果表明,NF90膜对含Cr(Ⅵ)废水有良好的处理效果,去除率超过了98%,出水Cr(Ⅵ)浓度低于0.5 mg/L,可以达标排放或回用于镀件漂洗.     

提高LIFAC法脱硫效率的工程实例

针对LIFAC法脱硫效率低的问题，从吸收剂的涡流循环喷钙装置、增强吸收剂的活性、抑制脱硫产物硫酸钙的高温分解等几个方面进行了剖析，并自制LIFAC法廉价喷钙剂，在佛山华丰纸业有限公司进行中试，取得了脱硫率平均90％以上的效果，最后，作者对该技术的优越性进行了评估。     

污泥酸化速率影响因子的探讨

采用城市污水厂污泥作为嗜酸微生物菌株来源,通过添加一定量的单质硫,使其中的嗜酸硫杆菌群大量增殖,并使污泥pH大幅降低.取得的培养物可用于废旧干电池中重金属沥滤等的处理.由于培养物对重金属沥滤效率和污泥的酸化速率密切相关,为此进行了不同的污泥种类、加硫量、污泥浓度和曝气强度对污泥酸化速率影响的实验.实验表明,初沉泥、二沉泥和混合浓缩污泥都能迅速利用硫产酸;加硫量(以100 mL污泥计)在0.5、1.0、2.0、4.0 g时,快速酸化的趋势相同.0.5 g的加硫量显示出略微慢的酸化速率,最后达到的最低pH在1.2左右,其他三个都降至1.0以下.污泥质量分数在0.5%、1.0%、2.0%、3.0%、4.0%时,也具有相同的酸化趋势,0.5%质量分数的污泥下降速率最快,这与较低浓度下污泥对pH的缓冲能力较小有关;曝气强度在0.45 L/min和0.3 L/min差别较小,5 d内能迅速降低pH,0.2 L/min的酸化速率较慢,足够长的时间(12 d)也能将pH降至2.5左右,0.1 L/min的曝气强度的酸化速率最慢,不能达到预期的酸化效果.     

Effect of arsenic and mercury speciation on inhibition of respiration rate in activated sludge systems

The inhibition effect of arsenite, As(III), arsenate, As(V), inorganic mercury, Hg(II) and methylmercury, MeHg, on the respiration rate of activated heterotrophic sludge microorganisms was evaluated. As(III) and MeHg were much more toxic to activated sludge than As(V) and Hg(II) respectively. The effect of various experimental parameters on the toxicity, such as sludge age, concentration of suspended solids and exposure time, was investigated. An increase of sludge age or the concentration of suspended solids reduces the observed inhibition. Longer exposure seems to dramatically increase the inhibition of As(III), MeHg and Hg(II) during the first hours of exposure, while the later inhibition increases at a slower rate. On the contrary, in the presence of As(V), 24 hours after exposure, the respiration rate was similar to that of the control biomass.