Exponential Collapse of Benthic Depurative Capacity in A Eutrophic Tropical Marine Ecosystem: A Threshold Response to Organic Nitrogen Loading

Microbial decomposition of particulate organic matter in sediments can substantially modulate eutrophication of nearshore marine environments. Flux budgets for nitrogen compounds and quantification of rates of microbial transformation can provide important information on the process of eutrophication. This survey documents sediment nitrogen budgets for a eutrophic nearshore marine environment at La Parguera on southwest coast of Puerto Rico, including consideration of the organic fraction in addition to microbial transformations.

Sediments of the inshore channel at La Parguera denote the input of heavy organic loads with low redox potentials and high ammonium contents. Benthic fluxes of dissolved organic nitrogen are below those recorded for ammonium. These observations suggest that nearshore tropical sediments subject to heavy nitrogen loads act as a sink for organic nitrogen and that ammonification is a key process in the release of nitrogen from sediments to the water column. Nitrification and denitrification rates are low overall and inversely related to the redox potential. Depuration of excess nitrogen through denitrification is ineffective in these sediments. in contrast to more robust temperate environments, our work demonstrates that tropical marine systems are particularly susceptible to eutrophication given their limited capacity for depuration of excess nitrogen.     

Distribution of tritium in estuarine waters: the role of organic matter

Tritium is an important environmental radionuclide whose reactivity with ligands and solids in aquatic systems is assumed to be limited. We studied the fractionation and sorption of tritium (added as tritiated water) in river water and seawater, and found that its distribution appears to be influenced by its affinity for organic matter. Tritium rapidly equilibrates with dissolved organic ligands that are retained by a reverse-phase C18 column, and with suspended sediment particles. Significantly, a measurable fraction of sorbed tritium associates with proteinaceous material that is potentially available to sediment-feeding organisms. These characteristics have not been reported previously and cannot be accounted for solely by isotopic exchange with hydrogen. Nevertheless, they are in qualitative agreement with available measurements of tritium in estuarine and coastal waters where its principal discharge is as tritiated water. Further research into the estuarine biogeochemical behaviour of tritium is required and radiological distribution coefficients and concentration factors that are assumed for this radionuclide may require reconsideration.     

Rapid multiresidue determination for currently used pesticides in agricultural drainage waters and soils using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

An efficient and sensitive method for simultaneous determination of 38 pesticides in agricultural drainage waters and soils has been developed and validated. Water samples were extracted using solid-phase extraction with C18 cartridges while solid samples (suspended particle matter and soil) were extracted by using the quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS) extraction method. The target pesticides were analyzed by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with electron impact ionization. The proposed method allowed a simultaneous determination and confirmation of a large number of pesticides in agricultural drainage waters, suspended particle matters and soils/sediments with a good reproducibility and low detection limits. The developed method was applied to a survey of pesticides in a vegetable growing area of Guangzhou, China. The pesticides commonly found in the area were butachlor, carbofuran, dichlorvos, fipronil, isocarbophos and pyridaben.     

Sorption and desorption of diuron on Typic Argiudoll,Oxic Argiudoll and on their clay fractions: environmental aspects

Abstract

The sorption and desorption of diuron by soil samples from Horizons A and B (HA and HB) and by their different clay fractions were investigated, using two soil samples, classified as Typic Argiudoll and Oxic Argiudoll. The sorption and desorption curves were adjusted to the Freundlich model and evaluated by parameters K_f, K_d and K_oc. Based on the data of groundwater ubiquity score (GUS), leachability index (LIX) and hysteresis index (HI), the risk of groundwater pollution was evaluated. The K_d values obtained for soil samples were between 4.5?mL g^?1 (Oxic Argiudoll – HB) and 15.9?mL g^?1 (Typic Argiudoll – HA) and between 1.13 and 14.0?mL g^?1 for the different mineral fractions, whereas the K_oc values varied between 276 (Oxic Argiudoll – HB) and 462 (Typic Argiudoll – HA). According to the parameter GUS, only Oxic Argiudoll – HB presented leaching potential, and based on the LIX index this same soil presented the highest leaching potential. Some samples presented low LIX and GUS values, indicating no leaching potential, but none presented HI results indicative of hysteresis, suggesting weak bonds between diuron and the soil samples and, hence, the risk of groundwater pollution by diuron.     

深圳江碧工业区地下水污染及其原因分析

通过实地踏勘和钻探采样的方法调查了深圳江碧工业区地下水质状况,用单因子评价法对其水质进行了评价,着重分析了地下水污染的途径,并提出了该地区地下水污染控制的对策.结果表明:工业区内地下水受到不同程度的重金属和有机物污染,其污染不是来自工业区内污染物下渗,而是源于其附近已污染的茅洲河与洋涌河.      

层流环形通道热泳脱除可吸入颗粒物技术研究

依据热泳基本原理 ,设计了一种新型层流方环形双壁冷却式通道。经过计算 ,该类型通道比一般管通道有着较高的脱除可吸入颗粒物的效率。同时 ,在不同的气流进口温度下 ,利用速度温度充分发展流与速度温度正在发展流的有不同热泳沉积效率工况 ,可以达到较高的沉积效率。通过结构设计 ,可以达到较高的可吸入颗粒物脱除效率 ,是值得进一步探索的新路子。     

服装中的有害物质及防护

本文从服装的作用分析入手,介绍了服装中常见的有害物质,提出了有害物质对人体的危害及防护措施。     

向海洪泛湿地土壤全氮、全磷和有机质含量及相关性分析

对霍林河流域向海国家级自然保护区内天然洪泛湿地在距主河道不同距离处分层采集土壤样品,对其全氮、全磷和有机质含量的空间变化规律进行分析探讨.结果显示,全氮、全磷和有机质的含量在空间上的变化趋势为随距离河道距离的增加和采样土层深度的增加而降低,表明洪泛作用对洪泛湿地土壤中全氮、全磷和有机质含量的影响随着距离河道距离的增加和土层深度的增加而降低.对全氮、全磷和有机质含量的相关性进行了分析,结果显示相互间的相关性在距主河道一定距离范围内非常显著.      

Effects of the Bacterial Component on the Viability of the Paramecium bursariaSymbiotic Complex (Infusorian–Zoochlorella)

A hypothesis is considered that the establishment and maintenance of mass exchange processes in the Paramecium bursariasymbiotic complex (infusorian–alga) depends on the presence of the third component—bacteria—whose role is underestimated but essential for completing the exchange cycle. The role of this component in the symbiotic cycle of Paramecium bursariais possible to reveal using special bactericidal preparations specifically inhibiting the bacteria involved in the metabolic cycle but having no effect on the functions of the host cell and the zoochlorella population. Experiments with various preparations of this type were performed, and the response to treatment was estimated from growth rates of the symbiotic complex and its components. This allowed identification of an antibiotic (rifampicin) that had no adverse influence on free-living zoochlorella and chlorella-free paramecia (the basic components of the symbiotic cycle) but drastically inhibited the growth of the P. bursariasymbiotic complex, which could be interpreted as evidence in favor of the hypothesis concerning the existence of the third symbiotic component.