Denitrification in bottom sediment near oil production facilities off the Louisiana Gulf Coast

There is little information on denitrification in Gulf of Mexico bottom sediment. Potential denitrification rates in surface sediment were measured along transects legs extending 0–800 m from two offshore oil production platforms. The average potential denitrification ranged from approximately 50 mg N m^?2 d^?1 in surface sediment near the platforms to 15 mg N m^?2 d^?1 in sediment 800 m from the platforms. Measured denitrification rates were correlated to a higher organic matter content in sediment nearer the platforms. This research examined only a small component of nitrogen processing in Gulf of Mexico sediment. Additional research should examine the effect of nitrogen loading and temporal and spatial variability on denitrification rate.     

Accumulation of Organochlorine Compounds in Oysters (Crassostrea Gasar) of an Estuarine Environment: Case of A Tropical Lagoon in the Gulf of Guinea

As part of a pollution monitoring study, oysters (Crassostrea gasar) were sampled in June 1996, in order to determine the concentrations and distribution of chlorinated hydrocarbons in two stations (near Boulay Island and Riviera Golf) of the Ebrie Lagoon, in the Abidjan area.

The chromatographic analysis of the oven dried samples revealed the presence of PCBs (2.13 to 86.22 ppb or ng/g dry weight), DDE (<0.48 to 169.55 ppb), DDD (<1.04 to 60.27 ppb), DDT (1.43 to 77.81 ppb, lindane (<0.22 to 91.64 ppb), aldrin (<0.30 to 154.1 ppb), endrin (<0.23 to 293.31 ppb) and dieldrin (<0.26 to 199.74 ppb). the results indicated high concentrations in oysters sampled near Boulay Island, due to industrial, agricultural and port activities going on in this area.

Compared to DDD/ΣDDT and DDT/ΣDDT, the DDE/ΣDDT ratios were high indicating old DDT inputs. the ΣDDT/PCBs ratios were higher than 1 illustrated the predominance of organochlorine inputs from agriculture activities. the presence of lindane in both stations illustrated the problem of fishing with toxic products.

Negative correlations found between dry tissue weight and organochlorine compounds concentrations showed that young oysters may concentrate more of these substances. More studies are needed in order to make any conclusions on their bioaccumulation trends.     

Horizontal Distribution of Some Artificial Radionuclides in Sediments Collected Off the Rhone Mouth (Gulf of Lions-Mediterranean Sea)

Abstract

The Rhône delta is a typical microtidal estuary. River runoff spreads out into the Gulf of Lions as a surface plume influenced by the prevailing N or NW wind and the Liguro-Provençal-Catalan current. in the prodelta, sediments form a filter that traps radionuclides released by the different nuclear installations on the Rhône River and which are associated with fine particles. the horizontal distribution of various artificial radionuclides shows the highest concentrations at the Rhône River mouth. There,¹³⁷Cs reaches 86.6 and 94.4 Bq·kg^?1 dry wt. and is still present 10 miles away (32.5 Bq·kg^?1 dry wt.) in the southwestward direction (influence of the general circulation). Data obtained in the sediment at Roustan station between 1980 and 1990 show that in 1990, ¹³⁷Cs levels were similar to those found previous to the Chernobyl accident.     

Total mercury content found in edible tissues of top predator fish from the Gulf of California,Mexico

Fish at the top of the food chain bioaccumulate and biomagnify toxic metals including mercury (Hg), at a higher rate than nonpredatory fish. However, although some top predator fish species are important in the human diet, the risks for consumers in Mexico are difficult to evaluate due to the scarce baseline information available. In the present article, data on the total mercury (THg) concentrations found in edible tissues of different species of sharks, rays, large pelagic fishes and groupers from the Gulf of California are presented and compared with national and international health guidelines. During 2003 and 2004, 73 shark dorsal tissue samples, 52 ray samples, 66 large pelagic fish samples and 16 grouper samples were collected at different sites along the Gulf of California. Samples were digested in a microwave system and analyzed by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Thirty samples (14%) showed concentrations of Hg above the national statutory limit of 1?mg?kg^?1, from which 25 samples were sharks and 3 were large pelagic fishes. A positive correlation was found between the natural log of THg [ln(THg)] and total length (TL cm) in species of sharks, rays and groupers. The Teacapán estuary in Sinaloa was detected as a possible source of Hg into the Gulf of California due to historic mining in the watershed. Mean Hg concentrations exceeded the regulatory limit of 1?mg?kg^?1 in the following highly commercial shark species: smooth hammerhead, pelagic thrasher, pacific sharpnose shark, dusky shark, scalloped hammerhead, and whitenose shark, in that order. It is recommended that preventive food advisories be issued with respect to these species until further investigations are conducted.     

北部湾潮间带波纹巴非蛤体内石油烃和多氯联苯的分布及风险评价

2011年春季在北部湾沿岸潮间带布设9个站位,采集双壳类动物波纹巴非蛤(Paphia undulata)并测定其软组织中的石油烃(TPH)和多氯联苯(PCBs)含量,研究两种污染物的分布特征、评价其生物质量并对巴非蛤体内残留PCBs可能造成的人体健康风险进行评价.结果表明,各站位TPH和∑PCBs含量范围分别为56.76—199.49μg.g-1和14.19—52.71 ng.g-1(干质量(dw)),就PCBs的组成而言,高氯代PCBs(PCB153、PCB180、PCB194)为优势同族体,所占比重较大.污染指数计算结果显示,除北海西场海域外,各站位的巴非蛤均受到TPH的重度污染,港口区尤为严重;而所有站位的巴非蛤均未受到PCBs污染.健康风险评价结果显示,所有站位的巴非蛤体内PCBs的非致癌风险处于可接受水平(RQ<1),但是,大多数站位的致癌风险指数(0.83×10-6—3.53×10-6)高于可接受的致癌风险低值(1×10-6),而存在一定的潜在致癌风险.     

桥梁工程规划设计阶段施工安全风险评估的研究

研究表明,有相当大比例的工程事故原因可以追溯到规划设计的不当。将工程的规划设计纳入施工安全管理全过程,就是将事故防控的"关口前移"和"源头管理"的创新思路。本研究以桥梁工程领域为例,探讨了我国在规划设计阶段进行施工安全风险评估的发展思路,包括:完善基础理论、将工程实践和立法推动相结合、从在建工程的施工安全现状反推其规划设计等,为提升我国工程建设施工安全提供借鉴。崇启大桥及泰州大桥工程实践表明,安全是可"构建"的,通过施工风险评估,能够改善规划设计,降低施工安全的风险,从而减少施工过程人员的伤亡或健康危害。     

A general process-based mass-balance model for phosphorus/eutrophication as a tool to estimate historical reference values for key bioindicators,as exemplified using data for the Gulf of Riga

This work describes how a general, process-based mass-balance model (CoastMab) for phosphorus for coastal areas may be used as a tool to estimate realistic values of “natural” or preindustrial reference levels of key bioindicators in coastal science, including the Secchi depth, a standard measure of water clarity, the chlorophyll-a concentration, an operational measure of phytoplankton biomass and the concentration of cyanobacteria, a measure of the concentration of harmful algae. The CoastMab-model is an ecosystem model giving monthly predictions to achieve seasonal variations of basin-wide properties. The selected case-study area, the Gulf of Riga, is sensitive to nutrient loading because of its shallowness and low openness towards the Baltic Proper. The morphometry of any coastal area, as given by the size and form parameters, influences all internal processes, such as sedimentation, resuspension, diffusion in water and from sediments to water, biouptake and retention in biota, stratification, mixing and outflow. There has been no mass-balance modeling for nitrogen (N) in this work because empirical data (from the HELCOM database) clearly indicate that the monthly primary production in the Gulf of Riga is regulated by phosphorus (P) – the mean monthly total-N to total-P ratios are well over 7.2 (the Redfield-ratio) and generally higher than 15 for the data used in this study (from 1992 to 2005). At present anthropogenic loads, the average modeled monthly values for Secchi depth, chlorophyll (Chl), cyanobacteria (CB) and total-P (TP) are 3.2 m, 3.8 μg/l, 78 μg/l and 31.3 μg/l, respectively. If 50% of all anthropogenic sources to the Gulf of Riga via rivers, point sources and diffuse sources were to be removed, these values would be 3.6 m, 3.4 μg Chl/l, 63 μg CB/l and 29.1 μg TP/l. If 60% of the anthropogenic phosphorus fluxes to the Baltic Proper were to be omitted and as well as 75% of all direct anthropogenic sources to the Gulf of Riga, the values would be 4.6 m, 2.7 μg Chl/l, 45 μg CB/l and 25.4 μg TP/l. These values represent the “natural” reference levels and it is not realistic to expect that remedial measures would improve the conditions more than that. Using the CoastWeb-model, similar calculations can be made for any given coastal area and the data necessary for such calculations are discussed in this work.     

青岛地铁超浅埋段爆破振动监测数据特征研究

为了更好地掌握超浅隧道爆破振动规律,以青岛地铁太延区间超浅埋隧道爆破振动为例进行了研究。在地表7层建筑物各层相同位置布置测振仪对爆破振速进行实时全面监测,通过对掏槽眼、辅助眼、周边眼爆破时单段最大起爆药量与实测振速关系的回归拟合,发现此隧道的爆破振动规律并不符合一般埋深隧道适用的萨道夫斯基公式,据此提出了临空自由面影响系数,得到了萨道夫斯基计算公式的修正拟合系数。修正后的萨道夫斯基公式可更好地反映3类炮眼爆破的实际振速衰减规律,该规律可为城市地铁类似隧道的爆破施工提供参考依据。     

Environmental Assessment of the Impact of Ozone to the Neuston of the Sea-Surface Microlayer of the Gulf of Mexico

Substantial amounts of NOx (146 000 t/y) and total hydrocarbons (294 000 t/y) are released to the marine atmosphere by the large number of oil and gas operations over Federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Under appropriate meteorological conditions these emissions react to form ozone (0–54 g/m3 over-water) which can affect the marine environment. Using a dry deposition model, this work examines the amount of ozone derived from oil and gas offshore operations and deposited in the sea surface of the Gulf of Mexico, and assesses its impact on the neuston of the sea-surface microlayer. Surface integrated estimates of ozone deposited from oil and gas operations over the sea surface ranges from 400 kg to 1800 kg which results in sea surface concentrations of 15 g/m3. This estimate and the actual toxic ozone levels suggest no acute, toxic impacts to the neuston. However, indirect effects may occur through changes to the pelagic foodwebs and organic carbon pathways. Another potential pathway for ozone impacting the environment is through the production of bromate. Based on the concentrations and time scales (11–139 days) only sublethal effects appear to occur, but uncertainties associated with this assessment need to be further studied. From an ecological perspective, the environmental impacts and risks of NOx and VOC discharges from offshore platforms need to be assessed for neuston and other components of the marine ecosystem.     

影响赤潮的气象因素分析

以 1 998年 7～ 1 0月辽东湾海域赤潮为例 ,分析了气象因素对赤潮全过程的影响。分析表明 :气温、降水、光照、风速等气象因素与赤潮的发生、发展和消亡有密切的关系 ,气象条件是诱发赤潮的关键因素。在温度适宜的情况下 ,降水量的多少对赤潮的发生、发展有关键的作用。最后探讨了利用气象因素与赤潮的关系进行赤潮发生、发展的气象潜势预报的基本思路