Invasive species impacts on ecosystem structure and function: A comparison of Oneida Lake, New York, USA, before and after zebra mussel invasion

Exotic species invasion is widely considered to affect ecosystem structure and function. Yet, few contemporary approaches can assess the effects of exotic species invasion at such an inclusive level. Our research presents one of the first attempts to examine the effects of an exotic species at the ecosystem level in a quantifiable manner. We used ecological network analysis (ENA) and a social network analysis (SNA) method called cohesion analysis to examine the effect of zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) invasion on the Oneida Lake, New York, USA, food web. We used ENA to quantify ecosystem function through an analysis of food web carbon transfer that explicitly incorporated flow over all food web paths (direct and indirect). The cohesion analysis assessed ecosystem structure through an organization of food web members into subgroups of strongly interacting predators and prey. Our analysis detected effects of zebra mussel invasion throughout the entire Oneida Lake food web, including changes in trophic flow efficiency (i.e., carbon flow among trophic levels) and alterations of food web organization (i.e., paths of carbon flow) and ecosystem activity (i.e., total carbon flow). ENA indicated that zebra mussels altered food web function by shunting carbon from pelagic to benthic pathways, increasing dissipative flow loss, and decreasing ecosystem activity. SNA revealed the strength of zebra mussel perturbation as evidenced by a reorganization of food web subgroup structure, with a decrease in importance of pelagic pathways, a concomitant rise of benthic pathways, and a reorganization of interactions between top predator fish. Together, these analyses allowed for a holistic understanding of the effects of zebra mussel invasion on the Oneida Lake food web.     

U and Th in some brown coals of Serbia and Montenegro and their environmental impact

GOAL, SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: The objective of this paper is to determine and compare the concentrations of U and Th in soft to hard brown (lignite to sub-bituminous) coals of Serbia and Montenegro. It also presents comparison of the obtained data on U and Th concentrations with the published data on coals located in some other countries of the world. Almost the whole coal production of Serbia and Montenegro is used as feed coals for combustion in thermal power plants. METHODS: Channel samples from open pit and underground mines and core samples were collected for hard and soft brown coals. For the analysis the samples were decomposed using microwave technique. Obtained solutions containing U and Th were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) using NIST standards. RESULTS: Concentration of U from the investigated basins and the corresponding mine fields ranges within 0.60-70.10 mg/kg, 0.65-3.20 mg/kg, 0.95-6.59 mg/kg, 1.20-6.05 mg/kg, 0.80-6.66 mg/kg, 0.18-89.90 mg/kg, 0.19-4.14 mg/kg, and 0.28-3.52 mg/kg for the Kostolac, Kolubara, Krepoljin, Sjenica, Soko Banja, Bogovina East field, Senje-Resavica and Pljevlja basins, respectively. Concentration of Th ranges within 0.20-2.60 mg/kg, 0.84-6.57 mg/kg, 1.48-6.48 mg/kg, 0.12-2.71 mg/kg, 0.13-4.95 mg/kg, 0.14-3.48 mg/kg, 0.29-3.56 mg/kg, and 0.17-1.89 mg/kg for the Kostolac, Kolubara, Krepoljin, Sjenica, Soko Banja, Bogovina East field, Senje-Resavica and Pljevlja basins, respectively. DISCUSSION: Brown coal from Senje-Resavica, Kolubara, Kostolac and Pljevlja is characterized by low U concentration. Coals form the Krepoljin, Soko Banja and Sjenica basins have slightly higher U concentrations than the mentioned group. The highest concentration of U is characteristic for the coal from the Bogovina East field. Concentration of Th in coals from Serbia and Montenegro has proved to be low. Out of all investigated coal basins, only the coal from the Krepoljin and Kolubara basins has high concentration of Th. The hydrothermally altered rocks of the Timok dacite-andesite complex, representing the basement of the Bogovina basin, could be a potential source of U, especially at the bottom part of the Lower seam of the Bogovina East field. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that brown coals in Serbia and Montenegro (soft to hard brown coals or lignite to sub-bituminous) contain low levels of U (5.30 mg/kg, average value and 2.10 mg/kg geometric mean value) and Th (1.80 mg/kg, average value and 1.12 mg/kg geometric mean value). There are some obvious differences in concentration of U and Th in coals from different basins in Serbia and Montenegro. The approximate value for U and Th release mainly from power plants was 644.33 t and 983.46 t, respectively within the period 1965-2000 for the studied mines in Serbia, and 23.76 t and 15.05 t for the Potrlica mine (Montenegro) within the period 1965-1997. RECOMMENDATIONS: The coals in Serbia and Montenegro show no identifiable unfavourable impact on the surrounding environment, due to low natural radioactive concentration of U and Th, but further investigations concerning human health should be performed. PERSPECTIVES: Preliminary research revealed that in some Serbian coals (and, particularly, parts of the coal seam) U and Th content are rather high. Such coals should be carefully studied, as well as U and Th concentrations in ash, fly ash, waste disposals, nearby soil and ground water. Further studies should include determination of the radioactivity of all these products, and estimation of possible health impact.     

好氧污泥颗粒化过程的影响因素分析

影响好氧颗粒污泥性质的因素多且复杂,具有灰色系统的特点.应用了灰色关联分析方法对好氧颗粒污泥的重要参数污泥体积指数(SVI)、沉降速率、颗粒粒径和污泥浓度(MLSS)进行了关联影响分析.结果表明:对颗粒污泥SVI的影响顺序为沉降速率＞颗粒粒径＞ MLSS,说明沉降速率对活性污泥的形态转变和颗粒化过程的作用最明显,SVI可作为评判颗粒化进程的一个理想指标;沉降速率对MLSS的影响最弱;颗粒粒径的最佳值为1.3～1.5 mm,此时,颗粒粒径对SVI降低的贡献最大,从而使颗粒污泥的沉降性能得到很大改善,并且使MLSS达到最大.     

南方土壤酸沉降敏感性研究Ⅷ.盐基离子淋溶的多因素分析

在模拟酸雨条件下土壤盐基离子淋溶特性研究的基础上,采用生成分分析及多元回归分析方法研究了土壤盐基淋溶的影响因子．结果表明,通过主成分分析方法可将选取的15个原始变量综合成为2个主成分,为进一步分析盐基释放量与土壤理化性质之间的关系提供了方便．影响盐基释放量的主要因子有土壤原始pH值、可交换性盐基含量、蒙脱石含量、活性氧化物、1.4nm矿物等,它们表现出效应,而高岭石和可交换性铝含量表现出负效应．利用主成分分析的结果进行多元回归分析,可得到土壤累积盐基释放量与2个主成分之间的回归方程．     

济南市土壤中酞酸酯的分析与分布

本文对济南市土壤中酞酸酯污染的重点地区进行了比较详细的研究，初步掌握了酞酸酯在土壤中分布状况及分布规律。     

中国工业SO2排放量动态变化分析

中国工业SO2减排工作的重点。经济增长、经济空间结构变化、技术进步是影响污染物排放量变化的三个重要因素。在分析我国工业SO2排放量、排放结构、排放强度等变化趋势的基础上,通过构建对数平均权重分解模型定量分解经济增长、结构变化、技术进步这3个因素对工业SO2排放量变化的贡献。结果表明：（1）中国工业SO2排放量年均增长48.7×10^4 t,年均增长率为3.2%,且2002—2006年增速加快;（2）分地区看,1991年以来,东部地区SO2排放量所占比重明显下降,中部地区略有上升,而西部地区所占比重增加显著;（3）单位产值工业SO2排放强度在研究期内迅速降低,年均下降幅度为8.4%,对减缓SO2排放量的过快增长起到了积极作用;（4）经济增长平均每年促进SO2排放量增长183.7×10^4 t,技术进步则平均每年使SO2排放量减少134.2×10^4 t,空间结构因素平均每年减少SO2排放量0.8×10^4 t。可以看出,长期以来,虽然我国的技术水平有了一定程度提高,但经济规模的扩张使中国工业SO2排放量持续增长,对中国环境压力形成了巨大压力,同时,经济总量在不同地区的分配对SO2排放量的影响也在不断变化中。     

山西高原油松种群遗传多样性

用酸性聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳（A-PAGE）技术，分析了山西高原9个油松种群在醇溶蛋白水平上的遗传多样性。135份材料共分离出23条带，其中3条为共有带，多态性高达86．95％。全部材料共出现53种带型，9个不同油松种群的带型有差异，同一种群不同个体的带型也有所不同，说明山西高原的油松在遗传上已产生一定程度分化，在醇溶蛋白水平上呈现出遗传多态性。从供试材料的带型计算出油松遗传分化系数为0．1547。即在种群间的变异占总变异的15．47％，种群内变异为84．53％，大部分的遗传变异存在于种群内，但种群间的分化程度在松属树种中也属于较高水平。根据23个多态位点计算遗传相似系数和遗传距离，进行聚类分析，将山西高原9个油松种群聚为3个类群。     

锰矿区土-水界面污染流中重金属来源分析

基于对湘潭锰矿红旗矿区土-水界面重金属污染流的采样分析,通过相关性和主成分分析法,研究了锰矿区土-水界面重金属污染流中的锰、镍、铜、锌、镉、铅重金属的来源以及同源性。结果表明:6种重金属的差异性、离散程度、变异性较大;锰—镍、锰—锌、锰—镉、锰—铅、镍—锌、铜—锌、铜—铅、锌—镉、锌—铅、铅—镉呈极显著正相关,镍与锰以外的其他重金属相关性都较低;3个主成分的贡献率分别为58.300%、16.628%、11.115%,累积贡献率达到了81.543%,并且6种重金属在主成分1的载荷非常高。结合矿区的周边环境和自身特点,表明6种重金属的主要共同来源为矿区内的矿业活动,并且工业活动、交通运输、农业活动等也对矿区造成了一定程度的重金属污染。     

3种制备方法对Mn-Ce/TiO2催化剂的性能影响及成本分析

制备方法对催化剂的性能和成本有重要影响。选择共沉淀法、浸渍法和溶胶凝胶法制备Mn-Ce/TiO₂催化剂,在90~220 ℃对比测试不同方法制得催化剂样品的低温SCR性能,利用BET、SEM、XRD、FT-IR、H₂-TPR和NH₃-TPD分析样品的物理化学性质,并对3种方法的实验室制备过程进行成本分析。结果表明：共沉淀法和浸渍法制备的催化剂低温SCR性能均较好,在反应温度为150 ℃的条件下,催化剂的脱硝效率达到100%;制备方法不仅会影响催化剂的比表面积、表面形貌,还会对催化剂的氧化还原能力和表面酸性位产生影响;成本由低到高依次为浸渍法、溶胶凝胶法、共沉淀法。3种方法制得同样质量的催化剂时,采用浸渍法所消耗的药剂最少,而且浸渍法制备过程最短,操作最简单。本研究可为锰基低温脱硝催化剂的制备提供参考。     

Principal component analysis for soil contamination with organochlorine compounds

In order to investigate the distribution pattern of individual organochlorine compounds in soil samples collected from the sites (Canary Island – Spain, China, Germany, India, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Swiss, UK) affected by industrial activities to the more remote areas, principal component analysis was performed on the data taken from literature. Loading plots pointed out the strong correlation among the variables. Score plots revealed similar PCB- and OCP-soil patterns for majority of the investigated sites. Nevertheless, the temporal differences of PCB-soil loads have been identified: the late 1990s and early 2000s concentrations are similar to those of the early 1940s, and they are below the levels existed in 1980. The most pronounced PCB concentrations characterized the soil from 1966. For OCPs the influence of sites location on the detected concentration has been revealed: China and India were characterized by comparably higher loads of DDX (DDT and its metabolites) and of HCH-isomers, respectively.