(M)VOC and composting facilities. Part 2: (M)VOC dispersal in the environment

BACKGROUND, AIMS AND SCOPE: Composting facilities are known to release odorous volatiles due to biodegradation of municipal waste and plant residues. Although odour perception and its grading is influenced by experience, attitude and adaptation, these emissions have created a lack of acceptance for residents in the vicinity of composting facilities. Enclosure of compost pile halls, ventilation systems and biofilters are often insufficient to minimise the burden of compost-derived compounds in the air. Moreover, economic considerations forced smaller communities to establish less sophisticated facilities with open storage areas and other relevant sources for wind-borne dispersal of bioaerosols. Aim of the present study was to characterise the immission and dispersal of microbial volatiles (MVOC) and, besides, to find coincidences between MVOC and compost odour. METHODS: In the course of this study, the surroundings of two composting facilities, differing in their type of process engineering, were investigated for emission of volatiles in the environment. Both microbially and plant-derived substances were assessed, several of which have low odour thresholds. Air samples were taken in distances ranging from 50 to 800 m in a downwind direction from each facility. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Compost-derived and microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOC) were found at distances of up to 800 m from the composting facilities. Terpenes like alpha-pinene, camphene and camphor were the dominant compounds and coincided with typical compost odour, whereas several typical MVOC were not found at greater distances. The terpenes in combination with certain MVOC may play an important role in the perception of compost odour. Exposure concentrations were not of toxicological relevance, but sensory irritation and psychohygienic effects due to an annoyance potential of such compounds should not be dismissed. RECOMMENDATIONS AND OUTLOOK: Although terpenes are generally associated with pleasant odour characteristics, they seemed to contribute to malodours in a mixture with other VOC, in this context of volatile waste from compost facilities. Malodorous emissions from biowaste have to be considered as sources of health complaints and the investigation of mixtures of compost-derived volatiles is still inevitable. Exposure levels have to be discussed taking VOC mixtures into account. Within composting facilities, technical devices have to be improved to minimise dispersal of volatiles to prevent residents from immissions eventually causing health complaints.     

Assessing the current state of ecological connectivity in a large marine protected area system

The establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) is a critical step in ensuring the continued persistence of marine biodiversity. Although the area protected in MPAs is growing, the movement of individuals (or larvae) among MPAs, termed connectivity, has only recently been included as an objective of many MPAs. As such, assessing connectivity is often neglected or oversimplified in the planning process. For promoting population persistence, it is important to ensure that protected areas in a system are functionally connected through dispersal or adult movement. We devised a multi-species model of larval dispersal for the Australian marine environment to evaluate how much local scale connectivity is protected in MPAs and determine whether the extensive system of MPAs truly functions as a network. We focused on non-migratory species with simplified larval behaviors (i.e., passive larval dispersal) (e.g., no explicit vertical migration) as an illustration. Of all the MPAs analyzed (approximately 2.7 million km²), outside the Great Barrier Reef and Ningaloo Reef, <50% of MPAs (46-80% of total MPA area depending on the species considered) were functionally connected. Our results suggest that Australia's MPA system cannot be referred to as a single network, but rather a collection of numerous smaller networks delineated by natural breaks in the connectivity of reef habitat. Depending on the dispersal capacity of the taxa of interest, there may be between 25 and 47 individual ecological networks distributed across the Australian marine environment. The need to first assess the underlying natural connectivity of a study system prior to implementing new MPAs represents a key research priority for strategically enlarging MPA networks. Our findings highlight the benefits of integrating multi-species connectivity into conservation planning to identify opportunities to better incorporate connectivity into the design of MPA systems and thus to increase their capacity to support long-term, sustainable biodiversity outcomes.     

A survey of antennal responses by five species of coniferophagous bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) to bark volatiles of six species of angiosperm trees

Summary. Using Porapak Q traps, we collected the bark volatiles of six angiosperm trees native to British Columbia: black cottonwood, Populus trichocarpa Torr. & A. Gray (Salicaceae), trembling aspen, P. tremuloides Michx. (Salicaceae), paper birch, Betula papyrifera Marsh. (Betulaceae), bigleaf maple, Acer macrophyllum Pursh (Aceraceae), red alder, Alnus rubra Bong. (Betulaceae), and Sitka alder, A. viridis ssp. sinuata (Regel) á. L?ve & D. L?ve (Betulaceae). Utilising coupled gas chromatographic-electroantennographic detection analysis, the captured volatiles were assayed for antennal responses in five species of coniferophagous bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), sympatric with most or all of the angiosperm trees: the Douglas-fir beetle, Dendroctonus pseudotsugae Hopkins, the mountain pine beetle, D. ponderosae Hopkins, the spruce beetle, D. rufipennis (Kirby), the western balsam bark beetle, Dryocoetes confusus Swaine, and the pine engraver, Ips pini (Say). The identities of 25 antennally-active compounds were determined by coupled gas chromatographic-mass spectroscopic analysis, and co-chromatographic comparisons with authentic chemicals. The compounds identified were: hexanal, (E)-2-hexenal, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, 1-hexanol, heptanal, α-pinene, frontalin, benzaldehyde, β-pinene, 2-hydroxycyclohexanone, 3-carene, limonene, β-phellandrene, benzyl alcohol, (E)-ocimene, salicylaldehyde, conophthorin, guaiacol, nonanal, methyl salicylate, 4-allylanisole, decanal, thymol methyl ether, (E)-nerolidol, and dendrolasin. A number of these compounds are known semiochemicals that are active in the behaviour of other organisms, including bark beetles, suggesting a high degree of semiochemical parsimony. Antennally-active compounds ranged from seven in A. viridis to 17 in P. trichocarpa. The fewest number of compounds (9) were detected by I. pini and the largest number (24) were detected by D. pseudotsugae. Six compounds excited the antennae of all five species of bark beetles. The large number of antennally-active compounds detected in common by numerous bark beetles and present in common in numerous nonhost trees supports the hypothesis of olfaction-based recognition and avoidance of nonhost angiosperm trees during the process of host selection by coniferophagous bark beetles. Received 13 December 1999; accepted 14 March 2000     

尼罗红荧光染色法的优化及应用

以自主筛选的小球藻为材料对尼罗红荧光染色进行条件优化,并用该方法追踪微藻在污水中的油脂含量变化。实验发现,微藻只有经过超声波破碎,染色才会出现荧光,DMSO的添加会增强荧光反应。最终确定其染色条件为:DMSO与藻液体积比为1∶5,超声波破碎5 min后染色5 min,NR质量浓度1.5μg/m L。在其应用方面发现,微藻的油脂积累量只有培养基的一半,说明污水不利于微藻油脂的积累;最佳采收时期为平稳期,此时微藻的产量和油脂含量达到最高。     

超声波对污泥破解及改善其厌氧消化效果的研究

利用槽式超声波发生器对城市污水处理厂剩余污泥进行处理,研究超声波对污泥的破解效果以及破解后污泥消化产气能力的改善情况,分别比较超声波发生方式、处理时间、功率和声能密度等因素对污泥破解及厌氧消化等特性的影响.结果表明,经过超声波处理后的污泥在厌氧反应初期.其产气速率增长较为明显.同时,单频超声波处理后污泥的厌氧产气累积增量高于双频超声波,为40.93%.而双频超声波处理后污泥的SCOD溶出量大,比单频高23.5%.     

Spontaneous Interspecific Hybridization and Patterns of Pollen Dispersal in Ex Situ Populations of a Tree Species (Sinojackia xylocarpa) that is Extinct in the Wild

Abstract:  For endangered plants interspecific hybridization occurring in ex situ collections may lead to failure of reintroduction actions. We used Sinojackia xylocarpa , a well documented Chinese endemic species that is extinct in the wild, as a model case to address this concern. We used paternity analyses to assess the spontaneous hybridization and patterns of pollen flow between S. xylocarpa and its congener species, S. rehderiana , in conserved populations in Wuhan Botanic Garden. Interspecific hybridization events were detected in seven out of eight maternal trees of S. xylocarpa , and an average of 32.7% seeds collected from maternal trees of S. xylocarpa were hybrids. The paternity of 93 out of 249 seedlings from S. xylocarpa assigned to S. rehderiana provided convincing evidence that spontaneous interspecific hybridization occurred extensively in the living garden collection we studied. Different patterns of pollen dispersal (predominantly short-distance vs. long-distance pollination) were observed between intra- and interspecific hybridization events in the garden. Pollen dispersal within the ex situ populations was not restricted by distance, as evidenced by a lack of significant correlations between the average effective pollen dispersal distance (δ) and the geographic distances (d1 and d2) between maternal and paternal trees. The interspecific pollen-dispersal distance ranged from 10 to 620.1 m (mean 294.4 m). Such extensive hybridization in ex situ collections could jeopardize the genetic integrity of endangered species and irrevocably contaminate the gene pool if such hybrids are used for reintroduction and restoration. We recommend strongly that measures be taken to minimize the genetic risks of this kind of hybridization, including establishing buffer zones in ex situ collections, manipulating flowering phenology, testing seed lots before use in reintroduction programs, and controlling pollination for seed purity.     

胞外聚合物结合磷效能的研究

以实验SBR反应器的活性污泥为研究对象,探讨了超声波-树脂法提取EPS的方法与程序;以5种不同来源的活性污泥为研究对象,考察了EPS结合磷的效能.结果表明,超声波-树脂法分离EPS和细菌细胞的较优程序为：采用21kHz、40W超声波作用60mL污泥2min（VSS约为8000mg·L-1）;然后,投加80g·g-1（以...     

柠檬酸对重金属复合污染土壤的浸提效果研究

以浙江富阳某炼铜厂附近受Cd、Cu、Pb和Zn复合污染的土壤为研究对象,采用振荡、静置和超声3种不同浸提方式,通过研究柠檬酸在不同浸提方式下对重金属的去除效果,筛选出最佳柠檬酸浓度、处理时间及功率,并采用Tessier连续提取法分析浸提前后4种重金属形态变化.结果表明,柠檬酸对4种重金属均具有较好的去除效果,其中对Zn的去除效果最好,Cd的去除效果最差,而Cu和Pb的去除效果相当.Pb和Zn的去除率均随着柠檬酸浓度的增加而增加,但增幅随之减小,Cu的去除率则先增加后基本保持不变,而Cd的去除率变化不明显.综合考虑成本和浸提效果后,选用0.2 mol·L-1柠檬酸浸提2次为最优条件,最佳振荡时间和静置时间分别为4 h和24 h,最佳超声时间和功率分别为30 min和500 W.柠檬酸能够在很大程度上改变土壤中重金属的形态分布,主要去除以可交换态和碳酸盐结合态形式存在的Cd及以碳酸盐结合态和铁锰氧化物结合态形式存在的Cu、Pb和Zn.通过对比3种浸提方式,在同等去除效果的前提下,静置浸提相比振荡浸提需要更长的时间,而将超声波应用于重金属污染土壤淋洗,所需时间较少,因此,超声波辅助浸提土壤中重金属是可行的,具有良好的应用前景.     

超声波在高浓度氨氮废水处理中的应用

介绍了超声波技术机理，并探讨了该技术在高浓度氨氮废水处理中的应用。考察了pH值、氨氮浓度、空气吹脱和超声辐射时间对氨氮降解率的影响。结果表明，在pH值为11，气液比800：1的条件下，经超声辐射2h，氨氮降解效率可达97．64％，即可达标排放。     

Exploring Population Dynamics Patterns in a Rare Fish, Zingel asper, through Capture-Mark-Recapture Methods

Abstract:  We performed a capture-mark-recapture study on one of the last populations of Zingel asper , an endemic percid species of the Rhône River basin in France. The distribution of Z. asper has decreased dramatically during the last century. We sampled three sites in suitable habitats in the Beaume River. No impact of individual tagging on survival was found. The demography of the population was analyzed using capture-recapture methods that allow the estimation of survival, recruitment, and demographic growth rates. Annual survival rates were low (0.35–0.50). The level of transience was high (5% to 25%), suggesting that a significant number of individuals were highly mobile or shifted to suboptimal habitats. Seniority rates suggested random highly variable recruitment between years. The three sites had similar variation patterns in all demographic parameters, indicating broad spatial covariation in population dynamics. We found some local differences in demographic parameters, which could be linked to local habitat quality. Individual tagging allowed for the estimation of demographic parameters that improved our understanding of Z. asper population dynamics and revealed mechanisms that may affect population persistence, such as stochastic recruitment, low survival, and frequent dispersal. The fragmentation of habitat through river damming inhibits dispersal and represents a threat to the persistence of Z. asper in the Rhône basin. Our results offer evidence of the importance of dispersal in nonmigratory fishes and confirm the usefulness of individual tagging methods in rare fish demography.