Development of a New Approach to Cumulative Effects Assessment: A Northern River Ecosystem Example

If sustainable development of Canadian waters is to be achieved, a realistic and manageable framework is required for assessing cumulative effects. The objective of this paper is to describe an approach for aquatic cumulative effects assessment that was developed under the Northern Rivers Ecosystem Initiative. The approach is based on a review of existing monitoring practices in Canada and the presence of existing thresholds for aquatic ecosystem health assessments. It suggests that a sustainable framework is possible for cumulative effects assessment of Canadian waters that would result in integration of national indicators of aquatic health, integration of national initiatives (e.g., water quality index, environmental effects monitoring), and provide an avenue where long-term monitoring programs could be integrated with baseline and follow-up monitoring conducted under the environmental assessment process.     

对新疆某铀伴生煤矿辐射环境影响分析及污染防治探讨

通过对新疆某煤矿辐射环境影响问题的调查与分析,阐明铀伴生煤矿对周围环境存在着不同程度的放射性影响,并在调查与分析的基础上,针对调查煤矿日前存在的问题提出了一些污染防治的对策和措施,以期为今后伴生放射性煤矿的环境管理决策提供有力依据。     

杭州快速路、主次干道植物群落降噪功能比较研究

城市绿地是城市生态系统的重要组成部分,在改善城市生态系统方面有重要作用。现今交通是城市环境中的主要噪声来源,城市道路绿地是交通噪声治理的有效方式之一。本文选取杭州市西湖区不同等级的三条道路(紫金港路、天目山路和丰潭路)作为研究对象,利用手持噪声测量仪测量实时噪声对不同道路等级和距离的绿地降噪效果进行分析。研究发现,杭州市三条道路存在以下问题:(1)噪声距离道路越远越低,且噪声平均衰减率表明绿地降噪效果为主干道次干道快速路;(2)配置模式为乔木+灌木+地被的绿地植物群落的降噪效果最佳,且乔木和灌木交错的种植形式在降噪效果上优于灌木在前、乔木在后的排列式种植;(3)当道路绿地宽达到15m时,植物群落降噪效果会有大幅度提升,且快速路与次干道在距离为15m处,植物群落降噪能力最佳。     

易分解碳输入模式对沉积物共代谢效应的影响

通过构建室内微宇宙系统,运用稳定碳同位素示踪法,解析混合处理组中各有机组分代谢释放的CO2含量,探讨相对易分解碳源的输入对湖泊沉积物有机碳矿化过程的影响.结果表明:添加相对易分解碳源的处理组中,CO2排放量明显升高,较对照组分别提高了45.49％(单次添加组)、52.61％(重复添加组)和57.65％(连续添加组),分...     

上海外环线道路声屏障的施工及降噪效果

上海外环线交通噪声污染十分突出,通过安装大型声屏障取得了较满意的效果。本文介绍了外环线两段道路声屏障的施工安装以及实测降噪效果,可供类似工程参考。     

瓦斯爆炸中的火球伤害效应

针对瓦斯爆炸事故3种危害中的高温热辐射伤害进行研究,结合火灾爆炸事故中的火球热辐射的传播公式,得出适合井下瓦斯爆炸事故的火球传播规律公式.依据该公式划分了瓦斯爆炸事故中火球热辐射的死亡、重伤、轻伤的半径公式,为瓦斯爆炸事故安全评价提供了理论基础.     

放射性气溶胶的净化

介绍了放射性气溶胶的国内外研究现状,包括放射性气溶胶的特性、净化技术、净化效果测定和评价等方面的研究现状.针对放射性气溶胶组分、粒径分布的研究,为放射性气溶胶收集效率的研究提供理论支撑.结合净化技术的发展现状,使净化技术在放射性气溶胶领域的工程应用中得到优化,更有效地减少放射性气溶胶对人类及环境的危害.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination of surface sediments and oysters from the inter-tidal areas of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Surface sediment and oyster samples from the inter-tidal areas of Dar es Salaam were analyzed for 23 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) including the 16 compounds prioritized by US-EPA using GC/MS. The total concentration of PAHs in the sediment ranged from 78 to 25,000 ng/g dry weight, while oyster concentrations ranged from 170 to 650 ng/g dry weight. Hazards due to sediment contamination were assessed using Equilibrium Partitioning Sediment Benchmarks and Threshold Effect Levels. Diagnostic indices and principle component analysis were used to identify possible sources. Interestingly, no correlation between sediment and oyster concentrations at the same sites was found. This is supported by completely different contamination patterns, suggesting different sources for both matrices. Hazard assessment revealed possible effects at six out of eight sites on the benthic communities and oyster populations. The contribution of PAH intake via oyster consumption to carcinogenic risks in humans seems to be low.     

A new challenge—development of test systems for the infochemical effect

Background, aim, and scope

Many—if not all—organisms depend on so-called infochemicals, chemical substances in their surroundings which inform the receivers about their biotic and abiotic environment and which allow them to react adequately to these signals. Anthropogenic substances can interfere with this complex chemical communication system. This finding is called infochemical effect. So far, it is not known to what extent anthropogenic discharges act as infochemicals and influence life and reproduction of organisms in the environment because adequate testing methods to identify chemicals which show the infochemical effect and to quantify their effects have not been developed yet. The purpose of this article is to help and find suitable test designs.

Main features

Test systems used in basic research to elucidate the olfactory cascade and the communication of environmental organisms by infochemicals are plentiful. Some of them might be the basis for a quantified ecotoxicological analysis of the infochemical effect. In principle, test systems for the infochemical effect could be developed at each step of the chemosensory signal transduction and processing cascade.

Results

Experimental set-ups were compiled systematically under the aspect whether they might be usable for testing the infochemical effect of single chemicals in standardized quantifying laboratory experiments. For an appropriate ecotoxicological assessment of the infochemical effect, experimental studies of many disciplines, such as molecular biology, neurobiology, physiology, chemical ecology, and population dynamics, should be evaluated in detail before a decision can be made which test system, respectively which test battery, might be suited best. The test systems presented here are based on the knowledge of the genetic sequences for olfactory receptors, binding studies of odorants, signal transmission, and reactions of the receivers on the level of the organisms or the populations. The following basic approaches are conceivable to identify the role of an infochemical: binding studies to the odorant-binding protein or to the odorant receptor binding protein (e.g., by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical studies), measurement of electrical signals of the receptor cells in the tissue (e.g., electroolfactograms, electroantennograms), registration of phenotypic changes (e.g., observation under the microscope), behavioral tests (e.g., in situ online biomonitoring, use of T-shaped olfactometers, tests of avoidance responses), measurement of population changes (e.g., cell density or turbidity measurements), and multispecies tests with observation of community structure and community function. The main focus of this study is on aquatic organisms.

Discussion

It is evident that the infochemical effect is a very complex sublethal endpoint, and it needs further studies with standardized quantitative methods to elucidate whether and to what extent the ecosystem is affected. The collection of approaches presented here is far from being complete but should serve as a point of depart for further experimental research.

Conclusions

This article is the first to compare various approaches for testing the infochemical effect. The development of a suitable test system will not be easy as there are a multitude of relevant chemicals, a multitude of relevant receptors, and a multitude of relevant reactions, and it must be expected that the effective concentrations are very low. The chemical communication is of utmost importance for the ecosystem and justifies great endeavors to find solutions to these technical problems.

Recommendations and perspectives

The infochemical effect is a new chapter in ecotoxicology. Will a new endpoint, the so-called infochemical effect, be required in addition to the actual standard test battery of Annex 5 to Commission Directive 92/69/EEC (EC 1992)? Finding the answer to this question is a big challenge that could be met by a comprehensive research project.     

水罗兰对不同密度铜绿微囊藻抑制作用的研究

通过水罗兰与铜绿微囊藻共培养12 d,研究了水罗兰对低密度、高密度的铜绿微囊藻的抑制作用.结果表明,铜绿微囊藻初始光密度(OD680)分别为0.026、0.257时,水罗兰可显著抑制铜绿微囊藻的生长,使其OD680降低.水质检测结果显示,培养过程中共培养液营养盐浓度一直处于较高水平,铜绿微囊藻OD680降低及生长停滞并非因营养不足所引起.通过实验证实了水罗兰可作为铜绿微囊藻水华控制的生态修复物种.