Herbicide toxicity,selectivity and hormesis of nicosulfuron on 10 Trichogrammatidae (Hymenoptera) species parasitizing Anagasta ( = Ephestia) kuehniella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) eggs

Selective agrochemicals including herbicides that do not affect non-target organisms such as natural enemies are important in the integrated pest management (IPM) programs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the herbicide toxicity, selectivity and hormesis of nicosulfuron, recommended for the corn Zea mays L. (Poaceae) crop, on 10 Trichogrammatidae (Hymenoptera) species. A female of each Trichogramma spp. or Trichogrammatoidea annulata De Santis, 1972 was individually placed in plastic test tubes (no choice) with a cardboard containing 45 flour moth Anagasta ( = Ephestia) kuehniella Zeller, 1879 (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) eggs. Parasitism by these natural enemies was allowed for 48 h and the cardboards were sprayed with the herbicide nicosulfuron at 1.50 L.ha^?1, along with the control (only distilled water). Nicosulfuron reduced the emergence rate of Trichogramma bruni Nagaraja, 1983 females, but increased that of Trichogramma pretiosum Riley, 1879, Trichogramma acacioi Brun, Moraes and Smith, 1984 and T. annulata females. Conversely, this herbicide increased the emergence rate of Trichogramma brasiliensis Ashmead, 1904, T. bruni, Trichogramma galloi Zucchi, 1988 and Trichogramma soaresi Nagaraja, 1983 males and decreased those of T. acacioi, Trichogramma atopovilia Oatman and Platner, 1983 and T. pretiosum males. In addition, nicosulfuron reduced the sex ratio of T. galloi, Trichogramma bennetti Nagaraja and Nagarkatti, 1973 and T. pretiosum and increased that of T. acacioi, T. bruni, T. annulata, Trichogramma demoraesi Nagaraja, 1983, T. soaresi and T. brasiliensis. The herbicide nicosulfuron was “harmless” (class 1, <30% reduction) for females and the sex ratio of all Trichogrammatidae species based on the International Organization for Biological Control (IOBC) classification. The possible hormesis effect of nicosulfuron on Trichogrammatidae species and on the bacterium Wolbachia sp. (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) was also discussed.     

Effects of productivity on biodiversity in forest ecosystems across the United States and China

In the global campaign against biodiversity loss in forest ecosystems, land managers need to know the status of forest biodiversity, but practical guidelines for conserving biodiversity in forest management are lacking. A major obstacle is the incomplete understanding of the relationship between site primary productivity and plant diversity, due to insufficient ecosystem‐wide data, especially for taxonomically and structurally diverse forest ecosystems. We investigated the effects of site productivity (the site's inherent capacity to grow timber) on tree species richness across 19 types of forest ecosystems in North America and China through 3 ground‐sourced forest inventory data sets (U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis, Cooperative Alaska Forest Inventory, and Chinese Forest Management Planning Inventory). All forest types conformed to a consistent and highly significant (P < 0.001) hump‐shaped unimodal relationship, of which the generalized coefficients of determination averaged 20.5% over all the forest types. That is, tree species richness first increased as productivity increased at a progressively slower rate, and, after reaching a maximum, richness started to decline. Our consistent findings suggest that forests of high productivity would sustain few species because they consist mostly of flat homogeneous areas lacking an environmental gradient along which a diversity of species with different habitats can coexist. The consistency of the productivity–biodiversity relationship among the 3 data sets we examined makes it possible to quantify the expected tree species richness that a forest stand is capable of sustaining, and a comparison between the actual species richness and the sustainable values can be useful in prioritizing conservation efforts.     

Level of environmental threat posed by horticultural trade in Cactaceae

Ornamental horticulture has been identified as an important threat to plant biodiversity and is a major pathway for plant invasions worldwide. In this context, the family Cactaceae is particularly challenging because it is considered the fifth most threatened large taxonomic group in the world; several species are among the most widespread and damaging invasive species; and Cactaceae is one of the most popular horticultural plant groups. Based on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna and the 11 largest online auction sites selling cacti, we documented the international cactus trade. To provide an in‐depth look at the dynamics of the industry, we surveyed the businesses involved in the cactus trade in South Africa (a hotspot of cactus trade and invasions). We purchased seeds of every available species and used DNA barcoding to identify species to the genus level. Although <20% of this trade involved threatened species and <3% involved known invasive species, many species were identified by a common name. However, only 0.02% of the globally traded cacti were collected from wild populations. Despite a large commercial network, all South African imports (of which 15% and 1.5% were of species listed as threatened and invasive, respectively) came from the same source. With DNA barcoding, we identified 24% of the species to genus level. Based on our results, we believe that if trade restrictions are placed on the small proportion of cacti that are invasive and there is no major increase in harvesting of native populations, then the commercial trade in cactus poses a negligible environmental threat. However, there are currently no effective methods for easily identifying which cacti are traded, and both the illicit harvesting of cacti from the wild and the informal trade in invasive taxa pose on‐going conservation challenges.     

Defining the Impact of Non‐Native Species

Non‐native species cause changes in the ecosystems to which they are introduced. These changes, or some of them, are usually termed impacts; they can be manifold and potentially damaging to ecosystems and biodiversity. However, the impacts of most non‐native species are poorly understood, and a synthesis of available information is being hindered because authors often do not clearly define impact. We argue that explicitly defining the impact of non‐native species will promote progress toward a better understanding of the implications of changes to biodiversity and ecosystems caused by non‐native species; help disentangle which aspects of scientific debates about non‐native species are due to disparate definitions and which represent true scientific discord; and improve communication between scientists from different research disciplines and between scientists, managers, and policy makers. For these reasons and based on examples from the literature, we devised seven key questions that fall into 4 categories: directionality, classification and measurement, ecological or socio‐economic changes, and scale. These questions should help in formulating clear and practical definitions of impact to suit specific scientific, stakeholder, or legislative contexts. Definiendo el Impacto de las Especies No‐Nativas     

Evaluation of a recycling process for printed circuit board by physical separation and heat treatment

Printed circuit boards (PCBs) from discarded personal computer (PC) and hard disk drive were crushed by explosion in water or mechanical comminution in order to disintegrate the attached parts. More parts were stripped from PCB of PC, composed of epoxy resin; than from PCB of household appliance, composed of phenol resin.In an attempt to raise the copper grade of PCB by removing other components, a carbonization treatment was investigated. The crushed PCB without surface-mounted parts was carbonized under a nitrogen atmosphere at 873–1073 K. After screening, the char was classified by size into oversized pieces, undersized pieces and powder. The copper foil and glass fiber pieces were liberated and collected in undersized fraction. The copper foil was liberated easily from glass fiber by stamping treatment.As one of the mounted parts, the multi-layered ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), which contain nickel, were carbonized at 873 K. The magnetic separation is carried out at a lower magnetic field strength of 0.1 T and then at 0.8 T. In the +0.5 mm size fraction the nickel grade in magnetic product was increased from 0.16% to 6.7% and the nickel recovery is 74%.The other useful mounted parts are tantalum capacitors. The tantalum capacitors were collected from mounted parts. The tantalum-sintered bodies were separated from molded resins by heat treatment at 723–773 K in air atmosphere and screening of 0.5 mm. Silica was removed and 70% of tantalum grade was obtained after more than 823 K heating and separation.Next, the evaluation of Cu recycling in PCB is estimated. Energy consumption of new process increased and the treatment cost becomes 3 times higher comparing the conventional process, while the environmental burden of new process decreased comparing conventional process.The nickel recovery process in fine ground particles increased energy and energy cost comparing those of the conventional process. However, the environmental burden decreased than the conventional one.The process for recovering tantalum used more heat for the treatment and therefore the energy consumption increased by 50%, when comparing with conventional process. However, the market price for tantalum is very large; the profit for tantalum recovery is added. Also the environmental burden decreased by the recycling of tantalum recovery. Therefore, the tantalum recovery is very important step in the PCB recycling. If there is no tantalum, the consumed energy and treatment cost increase in the new process, though the environmental burden decreases.     

ABR-生物接触氧化法处理果汁废水实验分析

厌氧式折流反应器(Anaerobic Baffled Reactor,简称ABR)是一种新型高效厌氧反应器,具有工艺技术简单、建设投资费用低、运行管理方便、固液分离效果好、出水水质好、运行稳定可靠、对有毒物质适应性强等优点,是一种极具开发应用前景的废水生物处理新技术。ABR最大的特点是在反应器中设置上下折流板而在水流方向上形成依次串联的隔室,从而使其中的微生物种群沿长度方向的不同隔室实现产酸和产甲烷相的分离。该反应器具有结构简单,截留污泥能力强,系统处理效果稳定,运行管理方便等优点。分析了ABR及ABR与其它工艺的联合在果汁废水处理方面的应用。     

Mitigation of eutrophication caused by wastewater discharge: A simulation-based approach

Mitigation of eutrophication, intensified by excessive nutrient load discharge in wastewaters regulated by restrictive legal requirements, remains one of today’s most important global problems. Despite implementation of the Water Framework Directive, the Urban Wastewater Directive and the HELCOM recommendations, the actual condition of surface water is still not satisfactory. In response to the above, the study presents an alternative approach for surface water protection against eutrophication based on the selection of appropriate nutrient removal technologies. An activated sludge model simulation was used to enable the identification of environmentally justified nutrient removal systems with lowest eutrophication potential of treated wastewater conditioned by bioavailable nutrient forms content. Based on the outcome of the study, the 3-stage Bardenpho system was identified as the most efficient for bioavailable phosphorus removal, while the Johannesburg system proved to have the highest efficiency for bioavailable nitrogen removal. The proposed eutrophication mitigation approach underlines the need for a reconsideration of current legal regulations which ignore nutrient bioavailability and key eutrophication limiting factors.     

溶藻活性物质对棕囊藻溶藻及其脂肪酸影响的模拟

为了探讨芽孢杆菌B1分泌的胞外溶藻活性物质对球形棕囊藻的溶藻特性和藻毒素物质脂肪酸的影响,比较了模拟自然水体中叶绿素a、p H、溶解氧DO、高锰酸盐指数和营养元素N、P浓度在溶藻前后的变化,并利用GC-MS检测了球形棕囊藻脂肪酸的成分和含量.用体积比1∶100的芽孢杆菌B1胞外活性物质处理模拟水体14 d,发现水体中叶绿素a、p H值和高锰酸盐指数随处理时间的增加而降低,DO和N、P浓度随处理时间的增加而增加.在第14 d时,处理组水体中p H值由8.50降低到7.51,叶绿素a降低82.3%(P0.05),DO增加29.5%(P0.05),高锰酸盐指数降低55.2%(P0.01).NH+4-N、NO-2-N、NO-3-N和PO3-4-P浓度分别增加了0.46、1.50、6.24和1.30倍.投加活性物质处理14 d后,球形棕囊藻藻毒素中的主要3种脂肪酸C18:2、C16:0和C18:1分别降低了100%、97.7%和85.4%(P0.01),总脂肪酸含量降低83.4%(P0.01).结果表明,芽孢杆菌B1胞外溶藻活性物质在模拟自然水体中能有效抑制球形棕囊藻的生长,并降低藻毒素脂肪酸的含量.研究结果为芽孢杆菌B1胞外活性物质的生态安全性应用提供理论基础.     

微气泡臭氧催化氧化-生化耦合工艺深度处理煤化工废水

采用微气泡臭氧催化氧化-生化耦合工艺对煤化工废水生化出水进行深度处理,考察耦合系统处理性能及不同臭氧投加量和进水COD量比值的影响.结果表明,微气泡臭氧催化氧化处理能够有效降解废水中难降解含氮芳香族污染物,去除部分COD并释放氨氮,显著提高废水可生化性,臭氧利用率接近100%,无需进行臭氧尾气处理;同时为生化处理提供充足溶解氧(DO),实现生化处理对COD和氨氮的进一步有效去除,生化处理无需曝气.在系统出水回流比为30%、臭氧投加量和进水COD量之比为0.44 mg·mg~(-1)的运行条件下,耦合系统处理性能较好.微气泡臭氧催化氧化处理对COD去除率为42.5%,臭氧消耗量与COD去除量比值为1.38 mg·mg~(-1),臭氧利用率为98.0%;生化处理对COD去除率为42.3%;耦合系统整体COD去除率为66.7%,最终平均出水COD浓度为91.5 mg·L~(-1),估算整体臭氧消耗量与COD去除量比值为0.68 mg·mg~(-1),具有较优的技术经济性能.     

Control of aliphatic halogenated DBP precursors with multiple drinking water treatment processes: Formation potential and integrated toxicity

The comprehensive control efficiency for the formation potentials(FPs) of a range of regulated and unregulated halogenated disinfection by-products(DBPs)(including carbonaceous DBPs(C-DBPs), nitrogenous DBPs(N-DBPs), and iodinated DBPs(I-DBPs)) with the multiple drinking water treatment processes, including pre-ozonation, conventional treatment(coagulation–sedimentation, pre-sand filtration), ozone-biological activated carbon(O_3-BAC) advanced treatment, and post-sand filtration, was investigated. The potential toxic risks of DBPs by combing their FPs and toxicity values were also evaluated.The results showed that the multiple drinking water treatment processes had superior performance in removing organic/inorganic precursors and reducing the formation of a range of halogenated DBPs. Therein, ozonation significantly removed bromide and iodide,and thus reduced the formation of brominated and iodinated DBPs. The removal of organic carbon and nitrogen precursors by the conventional treatment processes was substantially improved by O_3-BAC advanced treatment, and thus prevented the formation of chlorinated C-DBPs and N-DBPs. However, BAC filtration leads to the increased formation of brominated C-DBPs and N-DBPs due to the increase of bromide/DOC and bromide/DON.After the whole multiple treatment processes, the rank order for integrated toxic risk values caused by these halogenated DBPs was haloacetonitriles(HANs)》haloacetamides(HAMs) haloacetic acids(HAAs) trihalomethanes(THMs) halonitromethanes(HNMs) 》I-DBPs(I-HAMs and I-THMs). I-DBPs failed to cause high integrated toxic risk because of their very low FPs. The significant higher integrated toxic risk value caused by HANs than other halogenated DBPs cannot be ignored.