Biodegradation of thermally synthesized polyaspartate

Polyaspartate synthesized using thermal methods (thermal polyaspartate; TPA) has been shown to have dispersant and crystallization inhibition activities. These activities suggest that the polymer may be used in water treatment and paper processing and as a detergent and paint additive. The commercial potential for TPA is enhanced by the fact that it may be synthesized on a large scale. Therefore, a study of the biodegradation of the polymer was undertaken. TPA was produced by hydrolysis of a polysuccinimide synthesized by dry thermal polymerization of aspartic acid. The resulting polymer was a poly(,-dl-aspartate) having a 70% structure and containing a racemic mixture of aspartic acid. TPA was incubated with both dilute effluent and activated sludge from a wastewater treatment plant. Low-biomass effluent experiments showed changes in molecular size of TPA concomitant with oxygen demand induced by the polymer, suggesting susceptibility of TPA to at least partial biodegradation. Low-biomass sludge experiments (SCAS, modified Sturm) yielded approximately 70% mineralization of 20 mg L^–1 TPA by 28 days, suggesting that a significant portion of the polymer was labile. High-biomass sludge experiments using¹⁴C-TPA at 1 mg L^–1 revealed approximately 30% mineralization and 95% total removal of TPA carbon from solution in 23 days, with most of the mineralization and removal taking place in less than 5 days. Additional short-term studies using a variety of particulate substrates, including activated sludge, confirmed that TPA is subject to removal from solution by adsorption. From these studies with labeled TPA, it was concluded that TPA is subject to rapid removal and at least partial degradation in a wastewaster treatment plant. Using gel and thin-layer chromatography, it was determined that at least part of the unmineralized residue from the high biomass assays was polyaspartate. It is speculated that the unusual structure of TPA compared to natural proteins may limit the rate of proteolysis of the polymer and thus its overall degradation rate.     

The metabolism and distribution of [14C‐phenyl]‐ethyl parathion in a tropical soil under field conditions

The persistence, distribution and metabolism of [^l4C‐phenyl]‐ethyl parathion applied to soil columns in an agricultural farm were investigated under tropical field conditions. Volatilization, soil microbial activity, moisture levels and pH were found to influence the persistence, distribution and metabolism of this pesticide in the soil. There was rapid distribution of the pesticide in the soil matrix with time resulting in high levels of bound residues which reduced the overall rate of disappearance of parathion residues from the soil. The soil was slightly acidic but the metabolites, paraoxon, p‐nitrophenol and p‐aminophenol were detected in the soil extracts 7 days after pesticide application. After 72 days, 43.7% of the applied pesticide remained in soil composed of 18.9% extractable and 24.8% bound residues. A mechanism for the metabolism of ethyl parathion in this soil is given.     

Contribution to a more realistic approach in assessing the release of C-14 from low-level radioactive waste repositories

The contribution of C-14 to radiation exposure in the biosphere can be significant as compared to that of other radionuclides disposed in a repository for low-level radioactive waste. The release pathways of C-14 and processes relevant to its release from a closed final repository for low-level radioactive waste are discussed. Because a conservative approach may lead to undue overestimation of the potential radiation exposure, a more realistic approach is outlined. At the present level of refinement, our approach helps to provide a sufficient safety margin to German dose limits for radiation exposure of 0.3 mSv and can thus facilitate licence approval.     

14C of grasses as an indicator of fossil fuel CO2 pollution

Measuring the amount of fossil fuel carbon stored in the vegetation is now crucial to understand the mechanisms ruling climate changes. In this respect, highly polluted areas such as major towns represent “natural” laboratories because fossil fuel CO₂ (¹⁴C-free) is isotopically distinct from mean atmospheric CO₂ (¹⁴C-labeled). Here, a¹⁴C study of urban grasses near a major highway in Paris, France, shows that plants store up to 13% of fossil fuel carbon. The ¹⁴C composition of urban grasses is thus a novel parameter to assess the fossil fuel CO₂ pollution.     

嗜热溶胞菌SY-14的基本特性研究

对从污泥堆肥中分离得到的具有溶胞能力的嗜热产芽孢杆菌SY-14进行了初步鉴定,并对其生长、产酶及溶胞特性进行了研究.根据菌株形态及16S rDNA测序结果,SY-14为土芽胞杆菌属(Geobacillus sp.).SY-14最适生长温度60℃左右,最适生长pH为6.0～7.0.SY-14培养上清液对完整和加热灭活后的微生物细胞都具有溶胞能力,6 h的细胞溶解率分别可达到70%和85%,上清液经过热处理后溶胞能力明显下降,表明溶胞能力主要来自于酶的作用.间歇培养过程中,SY-14培养上清液溶胞活性在对数生长期快速升高,进入稳定期前后达到最大,之后快速下降.SY-14培养上清液对受试的5株革兰氏阴性菌及部分革兰氏阳性菌都具有溶胞能力.     

长江三角洲顶部冰后期地层的沉积特征

钻探证实,镇江市谏壁镇长江北岸高桥镇北部埋藏硬粘土层,之上为冰后期松散沉积物.沉积物主要为粉砂、粘土质粉砂、砂泥互层,中部局部夹含细砾中细砂,顶部见淤泥质粘土;夹数十层植物炭屑层;以水平纹理为主,局部见小型交错层理、波状层理.表明冰后期以来该地处于水动力较弱的河湖环境,为多期湖沼相沉积夹汊道河流相沉积,局部有海相沉积物加入.根据碳化植物碎屑14C年龄,推测冰后期底界年龄约13 000 aBP,海侵到达该地的时间约为9 000 aBP,海侵最高位时间约为6 500 aBP.冰后期平均沉积速率约为4.9 m/ka,湖沼相3.4～6 m/ka,河流相10～15 m/ka.对全新统的底界年龄和海相层的埋藏深度进行了讨论.     

自养微生物同化碳在土壤腐殖质组分及团聚体中的分配

采用14C-CO₂(碳同位素)连续标记技术结合室内模拟培养试验,采用土壤有机质的物理、化学分组方法,研究了不同种植方式〔P-R(盘塘水稻土)、P-U(盘塘水旱轮作土)和U-C(盘塘坡旱土)〕下14C-SOC(自养微生物同化碳)在土壤腐殖质组分和团聚体中的分配特征. 结果表明:不同种植方式显著影响自养微生物的固碳能力,P-R的自养微生物固碳能力最强〔w(14C-SOC)为38.32 mg/kg〕,约为P-U和U-C的2倍;P-R和P-U中w(14C-DOC)、w(14C-MBC)显著大于U-C中. 14C-SOC不同程度地进入了土壤的3种腐殖质组分(胡敏素、胡敏酸、富啡酸)中,其中进入胡敏素中的14C-SOC占总量的67.7%. 14C-SOC亦进入了不同粒径的土壤团聚体中,其中主要进入了Ⅲ级(0.020 mm≤粒径<0.200 mm)和Ⅱ级(0.200 mm≤粒径<2.000 mm)粒径的大团聚体中,表现出了碳汇效应;不同种植方式的土壤中,以P-R土壤各粒径土壤团聚体中w(14C-SOC)最高. 相关分析表明,全土中的w(14C-SOC)与各粒径土壤团聚体中w(14C-SOC)和胡敏酸中w(14C-SOC)均呈显著正相关.      

Managing conflicts between economic activities and threatened migratory marine species toward creating a multiobjective blue economy

Harnessing the economic potential of the oceans is key to combating poverty, enhancing food security, and strengthening economies. But the concomitant risk of intensified resource extraction to migratory species is worrying given these species contribute to important ecological processes, often underpin alternative livelihoods, and are mostly already threatened. We thus sought to quantify the potential conflict between key economic activities (5 fisheries and hydrocarbon exploitation) and sea turtle migration corridors in a region with rapid economic development: southern and eastern Africa. We satellite tracked the movement of 20 loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and 14 leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) turtles during their postnesting migrations. We used movement‐based kernel density estimation to identify migration corridors for each species. We overlaid these corridors on maps of the distribution and intensity of economic activities, quantified the extent of overlap and threat posed by each activity on each species, and compared the effects of activities. These results were compared with annual bycatch rates in the respective fisheries. Both species’ 3 corridors overlapped most with longline fishing, but the effect was worse for leatherbacks: their bycatch rates of approximately 1500/year were substantial relative to the regional population size of <100 nesting females/annum. This bycatch rate is likely slowing population growth. Artisanal fisheries may be of greater concern for loggerheads than for leatherbacks, but the population appears to be withstanding the high bycatch rates because it is increasing exponentially. The hydrocarbon industry currently has a moderately low impact on both species, but mining in key areas (e.g., Southern Mozambique) may undermine >50 years of conservation, potentially affecting >80% of loggerheads, 33% of the (critically endangered) leatherbacks, and their nesting beaches. We support establishing blue economies (i.e., generating wealth from the ocean), but oceans need to be carefully zoned and responsibly managed in both space and time to achieve economic (resource extraction), ecological (conservation, maintenance of processes), and social (maintenance of alternative livelihood opportunities, alleviate poverty) objectives.     

Performance assessment of mining operations using nonparametric production analysis: A bootstrapping approach in DEA

This paper presents a Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model combined with bootstrapping to assess performance in mining operations. Since DEA-type indicators based on nonparametric production analysis are simply point estimates without any standard error, we provide a methodology to assess the performance of strip mining operations by means of a DEA bootstrapping approach. This methodology is applied to a sample of fifteen Illinois strip coal mines using publicly available data (Thompson et al., 1995). The applied approach uses a mixed mine environmental performance indicator (MMEPI) that is derived by means of a VRS DEA environmental technology treating overburden as an undesirable output under the weak disposability assumption, and we compare this measure with a traditional output-oriented mine performance indicator (MPI) omitting overburden. Although omitting undesirable output results in biased performance estimates, these findings are based on sample specific results and indicate this bias is not statistically significant. The confidence intervals derived by the bootstrapping of the proposed MMEPI point estimates indicate that significant inefficiency has taken place in the analyzed sample of Illinois strip mines.