A Contemporary,Sex‐Limited Change in Body Size of an Estuarine Turtle in Response to Commercial Fishing

Abstract: Juvenile growth rate and adult body size are important components of life‐history strategies because of their direct impact on fitness. The diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) is a sexually dimorphic, long‐lived turtle inhabiting brackish waters throughout the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. In parts of its range, terrapins face anthropogenically imposed mortality: juveniles of both sexes inadvertently enter commercial crab traps and drown. For adult females, the carapace eventually grows large enough that they cannot enter traps, whereas males almost never reach that critical size. We compared age structure, carapace dimensions, growth curves, and indices of sexual dimorphism for a Chesapeake Bay population of terrapins (where mortality of turtles is high due to crab traps) with contemporary terrapins from Long Island Sound and museum specimens from Chesapeake Bay (neither group subject to commercial crab traps). We also calculated the allochronic and synchronic rates of evolutionary change (haldanes) for males and females to measure the rate of trait change in a population or between populations, respectively. We found a dramatic shift to a younger male age structure, a decrease in the length of time to terminal female carapace size, a 15% increase in female carapace width, and an increase in sexual dimorphism in Chesapeake Bay. In a new twist, our results implicate a fishery in the selective increase in size of a reptilian bycatch species. These sex‐specific changes in life history and demography have implications for population viability that need to be considered when addressing conservation of this threatened turtle.     

Defining Historical Baselines for Conservation: Ecological Changes Since European Settlement on Vancouver Island,Canada

Abstract: Conservation and restoration goals are often defined by historical baseline conditions that occurred prior to a particular period of human disturbance, such as European settlement in North America. Nevertheless, if ecosystems were heavily influenced by native peoples prior to European settlement, conservation efforts may require active management rather than simple removal of or reductions in recent forms of disturbance. We used pre‐European settlement land survey records (1859–1874) and contemporary vegetation surveys to assess changes over the past 150 years in tree species and habitat composition, forest density, and tree size structure on southern Vancouver Island and Saltspring Island, British Columbia, Canada. Several lines of evidence support the hypothesis that frequent historical burning by native peoples, and subsequent fire suppression, have played dominant roles in shaping this landscape. First, the relative frequency of fire‐sensitive species (e.g., cedar [Thuja plicata]) has increased, whereas fire‐tolerant species (e.g., Douglas‐fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii]) have decreased. Tree density has increased 2‐fold, and the proportion of the landscape in forest has greatly increased at the expense of open habitats (plains, savannas), which today contain most of the region's threatened species. Finally, the frequency distribution of tree size has shifted from unimodal to monotonically decreasing, which suggests removal of an important barrier to tree recruitment. In addition, although most of the open habitats are associated with Garry oak (Quercus garryana) at present, most of the open habitats prior to European settlement were associated with Douglas‐fir, which suggests that the current focus on Garry oak as a flagship for the many rare species in savannas may be misguided. Overall, our results indicate that the maintenance and restoration of open habitats will require active management and that historical records can provide critical guidance to such efforts.     

重点源大气砷铅污染排放模型及特征

在我国的非常规性污染物质中,大气重金属砷、铅已越来越多地被关注和重视。文章综述了国内外人为源对大气中重金属排放的贡献,结果显示中国是全球人为活动向大气排放重金属最多的国家之一,燃煤和有色金属冶炼行业在相当长的时间内都将是最主要且最为重要的人为排放源。通过系统调研燃煤及有色金属冶炼业资源及产业布局状况,构建目前我国大气重金属相关清单模型,进行了我国重点源大气砷、铅排放清单分析,结果表明：（1）2000-2008年我国燃煤大气砷、铅排放量共为93733t,年均增长率为7．93％,2004-2008年有色金属冶炼业大气砷、铅排放量共为18836t,年均增长率为15．2％;（2）2000-2008年各经济部门中电力部门燃煤大气砷、铅放量始终最高,占燃煤大气排放总量的44．6％-57．1％,且呈逐年升高的趋势;（3）2000-2008年各省区中山西、河北、河南和湖南省是大气砷、铅的排放大户。其中,燃煤大气砷、铅排放量主要集中在人口密集、工业集中、经济发展速度较快的北部和中东部省区,包括山西、山东、河北、河南和江苏五省,占全国燃煤排放总量的39．1％,有色金属冶炼大气砷、铅排放量主要集中在我国有色金属工业较为发达的河南及湖南省,占全国有色金属冶炼业排放总量的47．3％。可以看出,我国需要高度重视大气重金属砷、铅的污染防治,加强排放控制基础能力建设,加快建立适合中国的大气砷、铅污染防治技术政策体系。     

Bioaerosol emissions variations in large-scale landfill region and their health risk impacts

● The airborne bacteria in landfills were 4–50 times higher than fungi. ● Bioaerosols released from the working area would pose risk to on-site workers. ● The safe distance for the working area should be set as 80 m. Landfills are widely complained about due to the long-term odor and landfill gas emissions for local residents, while the bioaerosols are always neglected as another threat to on-site workers. In this study, bioaerosols samples were collected from the typical operation scenes in the large-scale modern landfill, and the emission levels of airborne bacteria, pathogenic species, and fungi were quantified and co-related. The corresponding exposure risks were assessed based on the average daily dose via inhalation and skin contact. It was found that the levels of culturable bacteria and fungi in all landfill samples were around 33–22778 CFU/m³ and 8–450 CFU/m³, and the active-working landfill area and the covered area were the maximum and minimum emission sources, respectively, meaning that the bioaerosols were mainly released from the areas related with the fresh waste operation. Acinetobacter sp., Massilia sp., Methylobacterium-Methylorubrum sp. and Noviherbaspirillum sp. were the main bacterial populations, with a percentage of 42.56%, 89.82%, 70.24% and 30.20% respectively in total bioaerosols measured. With regards to the health risk, the health risks via inhalation were the main potential risks, with four orders of magnitude higher than that of skin contact. Active-working area showed the critical point for non-carcinogenic risks, with a hazard quotient of 1.68, where 80 m protection distance is recommended for on-site worker protection, plus more careful protection measures.     

Microplastic contamination in Great Lakes fish

Freshwater ecosystems, generally adjacent to human population and more contaminated relative to adjacent marine ecosystems, are vulnerable to microplastic contamination. We sampled 7 species of fish from Lake Ontario and Lake Superior and assessed their gastrointestinal (GI) tracts to quantify ingested microplastics and other anthropogenic particles. A subset of the microparticles were chemically analyzed to confirm polymer types and anthropogenic origins. We documented the highest concentration of microplastics and other anthropogenic microparticles ever reported in bony fish. We found 12,442 anthropogenic microparticles across 212 fish (8 species) from nearshore Lake Ontario, 943 across 50 fish (1 species) from Humber River, and 3094 across 119 fish (7 species) from Lake Superior. Fish from Lake Ontario had the greatest mean abundance of anthropogenic microparticles in their GI tracts (59 particles/fish [SD 104]), with up to 915 microparticles in a single fish. Fish from Lake Superior contained a mean [SD] of 26 [74] particles/fish, and fish from Humber River contained 19 [14] particles/fish. Most particles were microfibers. Overall, ≥90% of particles were anthropogenic, of which 35-59% were microplastics. Polyethylene (24%), polyethylene terephthalate (20%), and polypropylene (18%) were the most common microplastics. Ingestion of anthropogenic particles was significantly different among species within Lake Ontario (p < 0.05), and the abundance of anthropogenic particles increased as fish length increased in Lake Ontario (ρ = 0.62). Although we cannot extrapolate the concentration of microplastics in the water and sediments of these fish, the relatively high abundance of microplastics in the GI tracts of fish suggests environmental exposure may be above threshold concentrations for risk.     

太湖北部流域水化学特征及其控制因素

为了解太湖北部流域主要河网区水质受该流域地质状况、岩石和土壤的化学风化作用以及人类活动的影响等方面,对太湖北部流域河网区主要河道水体中的主要离子进行了采样研究。结果表明：太湖北部流域水体中的TDS平均值为355．74mg·L-1,变化范围为276．08--681．54mg·L-1,其中ca2＋和HCO3-是占绝对优势的离子,分别占阳离子和阴离子总量的46．2％和48．9％;其次是Na＋和SO42-,分别占阳离子和阴离子总量的35．9％和27．5％。进而判断出该流域水化学类型是以碳酸盐岩石和蒸发岩来源为主的HCO3-Ca2＋-Na＋型。再从离子的自然起源和人类活动角度分别对水化学类型的控制因素进行分析,一方面利用吉布斯分布模式投点作图得出结论：其离子自然起源的优势机制是岩石的风化作用,而蒸发一结晶和大气降水的输入作用十分微弱,这与该流域的水文、地理、地质背景相一致;另一方面通过SPSS软件的相关关系分析得出结论：NO3-、SO42-、心、ca2＋和Mg2＋的相关性较强,与cl‘也呈正相关,说明水体中这些主要离子都具有共同的来源,其中NO3-的较高含量（平均值为14．74mg·L-1）反映了该流域受人类影响较大。尤其是NO3-与sO42-的相关性达到0．83,再次说明氮污染对该流域水体的酸化和水质变化有较大影响。     

气溶胶中抗生素抗性基因研究进展:以养殖场和医院为例

抗生素在医药和养殖业的大量使用导致耐药菌的出现,加速了抗生素抗性基因(antibiotic resistance genes,ARGs)在不同环境介质中的传播扩散,抗生素耐药性已成为目前全球卫生、食品安全和发展的最大威胁之一。气溶胶作为ARGs的潜在储存库缺乏系统的研究数据,而通过空气传播具有较高抗生素抗性水平的细菌可能是引起重要疾病的主要传播途径。本文针对养殖场和医院2个抗生素大量使用的典型场所,对气溶胶中ARGs的污染现状、样品采集与检测技术进行综述,并探讨了这一环境污染的潜在风险,表明开展气溶胶中ARGs研究的必要性,并为以后需开展的工作提出几点建议。     

向海湿地河道上下游土壤重金属污染程度分析

以向海湿地河道上、下游土壤沉积物为研究对象，以Al元素作为标准化元素，通过对重金属元素富集因子的分析，研究了Cu、Ni、Mn、Fe、Ba、Cr等6种重金属元素的人为污染状况及分级。结果表明，该区土壤沉积物中重金属元素均受到不同程度的人为污染影响，部分层面Ni、Ba等重金属元素污染程度达到显著水平，造成这种现象的主要原因是富含重金属的霍林河上游矿源物质的沉积及人类对湿地开发活动的历史变迁过程；此外，径流淹没频率不同造成了两断面土壤沉积类型和沉积效果的不同，使得受水文影响较大的上游断面的人为污染程度大于受影响较小的下游断面，说明向海湿地对人为污染具有一定的缓冲能力，或向海湿地具有较强的净化和过滤功能。     

福建省地级市人为源活性氮排放及其特征分析

在人口增长和快速城市化的背景下,活性氮排放对生态环境的影响日益加剧.为研究省级尺度活性氮排放规律,采用排放因子法建立2000、2005及2010年福建省人为源活性氮排放清单,分析各地市3个年份活性氮排放量及排放强度特征.结果表明,3个年份福建省活性氮排放总量分别为538.4、587.0和619.97 Gg,呈整体增加趋势.在9个地级市中,增速最快的为莆田市,而漳州市排放量有所下降.排放量最大的为漳州和泉州,排放量最小的为宁德与厦门.从排放来源看,90%以上的排放来自农田生态系统和畜禽养殖系统.能源活动贡献较小,但其排放增长最为显著.2010年,各地市单位面积活性氮排放强度呈"东南沿海高西北内陆低"的格局,最高为厦门市,最低为三明市;GDP和人口排放强度则呈"东南沿海低西北内陆高"的格局,最高为南平市,最低为厦门市.在分析各地市活性氮排放源特征的基础上,探讨了不同地区活性氮减排重点,研究结果可为福建省及下辖各地市活性氮减排提供科学依据.     

2018年石家庄市秋冬季典型霾污染特征

依托河北省灰霾污染防治重点实验室,对2018年10月31日至12月3日期间石家庄市大气PM_(2.5)的质量浓度和化学组分进行连续在线观测,解析石家庄市秋末冬初典型灰霾过程的特征.观测期间,石家庄市共发生4次霾污染过程,PM_(2.5)均为首要污染物,日均浓度最大值分别为154、228、379和223μg·m~(-3),达到重度污染甚至严重污染.PM_(2.5)主要组分为无机水溶性离子(WSII)和含碳气溶胶,两者质量浓度的平均占比分别为(60. 7±15. 6)%和(21. 6±9. 7)%.相比优良天,两者浓度分别上升了4. 4倍和3. 1倍,是霾污染形成的主要原因.WSII中NO_3~-为首要成分,SO_4~(2-)和NH_4~+次之,三者(SNA)质量浓度之和占WSII质量浓度的(91. 5±17. 3)%,污染期间SNA的暴发式增长是推高PM_(2.5)浓度的主要原因.非高湿条件下,单位质量NO_3~-和SO_4~(2-)的变化速率差异不明显,高湿条件触发SO_2的液相氧化过程后,SO_4~(2-)二次转化被显著促进.大气处于富NH_3状态,PM_(2.5)中n(NH_4~+)与n(NO_3~-+2×SO_4~(2-))的比值 1,过量NH_3加剧NO_3~-和SO_4~(2-)的转化.霾污染时段,燃煤和机动车排放的一次污染物的积累为含碳气溶胶浓度上升的主要原因,相比优良天,二次有机碳的生成受到抑制.在采暖季开始之前的两次霾污染过程,移动源为PM_(2.5)首要污染源,平均占比30. 8%和39. 8%.随着燃煤采暖污染排放的增加,燃煤源贡献逐步增高至25. 2%,攀升为首要污染源.