Is the bone tissue of ring-billed gulls breeding in a pollution hotspot in the St. Lawrence River,Canada, impacted by halogenated flame retardant exposure?

Bone metabolism is a tightly regulated process that controls bone remodeling and repair in addition to maintaining circulating calcium and phosphate levels. It has been shown that certain organohalogen contaminants may adversely impact bone tissue metabolism and structure in wildlife species. However, exceedingly few studies have addressed the bone-related effects of organohalogen exposure in birds. The objective of the present study was to investigate the associations between markers of bone metabolism and structural integrity, and concentrations of established and current-use halogenated flame retardants (FRs) in ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis) nesting in a known FR hotspot area in the St. Lawrence River (Montreal, Canada). Bone metabolism was assessed using plasma calcium and inorganic phosphate levels, and alkaline phophatase activity, while bone (tarsus; trabecular and cortical sections) structure quality was examined using the percentage of bone tissue comprised in the total bone volume (Bv/Tv) and bone mineral density (BMD). Bv/Tv and BMD of the tarsus tended (not significant) to be positively associated with circulating calcium levels in male ring-billed gulls. Moreover, concentrations of FRs in male bird liver (brominated diphenyl ether (BDE)-154, -183, -201, and -209) and plasma (BDE-209) were negatively correlated with trabecular and cortical BMD of the tarsus. These correlative associations may suggest light demineralization of bone tissue associated with FR exposure in male ring-billed gulls. Present findings provide some evidence that bone (tarsus) metabolism and mineral composition may be impacted in high FR-exposed (mainly to PBDEs) ring-billed gulls breeding in the highly urbanized Montreal region.     

An international survey of decabromodiphenyl ethane (deBDethane) and decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE) in sewage sludge samples

Decabromodiphenyl ethane (deBDethane) is an additive flame retardant marketed as a replacement for decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE). The structures of the two chemicals are similar, and hence deBDethane may also become an environmental contaminant of concern. Environmental data on deBDethane are scarce. Since sewage sludge is an early indicator of leakage of these chemicals into the environment, an international survey of deBDethane and decaBDE levels in sludge was conducted. Samples were collected from 42 WWTPs in 12 different countries and analyzed with GC/LRMS. DeBDethane was present in sludge from all countries and may therefore be a worldwide concern. The levels of deBDethane in sludge samples from the Ruhr area of Germany were the highest so far reported in the literature (216 ng g⁻¹ d.wt.). The [deBDethane]/[decaBDE] quotient for the whole data set ranged from 0.0018 to 0.83. High ratios were found in and around Germany where deBDethane imports are known to have been high and substitution of decaBDE with deBDethane is likely to have occurred. Low ratios were found in the USA and the UK, countries that have traditionally been large users of decaBDE. An estimate of the flux of deBDEthane from the technosphere via WWTPs to the environment within the European Union gave 1.7 ± 0.34 mg annually per person. The corresponding value for decaBDE was 41 ± 22 mg annually per person.     

甲烷-煤尘复合火焰的传播与温度特征

为了揭示甲烷-煤尘复合体系的燃烧特征,利用高速摄像机、超细热电偶、显微镜头等对管道内甲烷-煤尘复合火焰的传播过程及其温度特征进行了试验研究.结果表明,随着煤尘浓度的增加,甲烷-煤尘复合火焰的最高温度及传播速度呈现先增大后减小的趋势; 对于甲烷-煤尘复合火焰,粒径较大的煤尘在较小的浓度达到最高温度,而粒径较小的煤尘则需要在较大的浓度达到最高温度.     

Hybrid governance tensions fuelling self-reflexivity in Alternative Food Networks: the case of the Brussels GASAP (solidarity purchasing groups for peasant agriculture)

This paper applies the concept of Hybrid Governance to the analysis of the GASAP (Groupe d’Achats Solidaires de l’Agriculture Paysanne), a solidarity-based producers–consumers network established in Brussels in 2006. The Hybrid Governance concept allows to capture the role of key governance tensions in driving the self-organisation, scaling out and self-reflexive dynamics of Alternative Food Networks (AFNs). The approach provides a multifaceted and sound socio-political account of the ways AFNs arise, self-organise, associate and build networks in the pursuit of their food allocation objectives, often facing a contradictory socio-institutional environment. Three types of governance tensions, i.e. organisational, resource, and institutional, as well as the interactions among them, are analysed throughout the life-course of the GASAP network. The analysis identifies three phases in the GASAP’s life-course, showing how governance tensions and their interrelations arise and play a critical role in conditioning the overall development of the organisation through time. The paper concludes with highlighting prospective values of the hybrid governance approach for the analysis of AFNs in general. These values relate to: the role of the hybrid approach in illuminating on key drivers behind the scaling out of AFNs; the hybrid governance as a tool to conceptualise and sustain the self-reflexive capacity of local food initiatives and the ways by which this approach unravels challenges to build cooperative alliances and networks among a diversity of agents in the food arena.     

广州市居民家庭室内灰尘中传统和新型阻燃剂与塑化剂的污染特征及健康风险评估

近年来,随着阻燃剂多溴联苯醚(PBDEs)和以邻苯二甲酸酯(PAEs)为代表的传统型塑化剂(LPs)的逐步禁用或限用,有机磷系阻燃剂(PFRs)等新型阻燃剂及替代型塑化剂(APs)的生产和使用呈逐年增长的趋势,其环境污染特征和人体暴露健康风险值得引起广泛关注.目前,灰尘已广泛用于室内环境中PBDEs、PFRs和LPs等半挥发性有机污染物(SVOCs)的污染特征评估,而关于室内灰尘中APs的污染特征则鲜有报道.本研究以广州市42户普通居民家庭为研究对象,采集家庭室内灰尘并分析了PFRs、PBDEs、LPs和APs的含量及组成特征.结果表明,PFRs、PBDEs、LPs和APs在室内灰尘中均有广泛检出,其含量分别为593.28～11531.56、13.45～27029.13、40494.83～1154497.16和15365.19～1013352.51 ng·g^-1.大多数家庭中,PFRs和部分APs在灰尘中的含量呈现高于PBDEs和LPs的特征,PFRs和APs等新型污染物的人体暴露健康风险需引起高度关注.采用暴露模型评估人体经灰尘摄入和皮肤接触对目标污染物的日均暴...     

A Framework of Lessons Learned from Community-Based Marine Reserves and Its Effectiveness in Guiding a New Coastal Management Initiative in the Philippines

Community-based coastal resource management has been widely applied within the Philippines. However, small-scale community-based reserves are often inefficient owing to management inadequacies arising because of a lack of local support or enforcement or poor design. Because there are many potential pitfalls during the establishment of even small community-based reserves, it is important for coastal managers, communities, and facilitating institutions to have access to a summary of the key factors for success. Reviewing relevant literature, we present a framework of lessons learned during the establishment of protected areas, mainly in the Philippines. The framework contains summary guidance on the importance of (1) an island location, (2) small community population size, (3) minimal effect of land-based development, (4) application of a bottom-up approach, (5) an external facilitating institution, (6) acquisition of title, (7) use of a scientific information database, (8) stakeholder involvement, (9) the establishment of legislation, (10) community empowerment, (11) alternative livelihood schemes, (12) surveillance, (13) tangible management results, (14) continued involvement of external groups after reserve establishment, and (15) small-scale project expansion.These framework components guided the establishment of a community-based protected area at Danjugan Island, Negros Occidental, Philippines. This case study showed that the framework was a useful guide that led to establishing and implementing a community-based marine reserve. Evaluation of the reserve using standard criteria developed for the Philippines shows that the Danjugan Island protected area can be considered successful and sustainable. At Danjugan Island, all of the lessons synthesized in the framework were important and should be considered elsewhere, even for relatively small projects. As shown in previous projects in the Philippines, local involvement and stewardship of the protected area appeared particularly important for its successful implementation. The involvement of external organizations also seemed to have a key role in the success of the Danjugan Island project by guiding local decision-makers in the sociobiological principles of establishing protected areas. However, the relative importance of each component of the framework will vary between coastal management initiatives both within the Philippines and across the wider Asian region.Published on line     

军用浸渍活性炭中银含量测定方法——火焰原子吸收分光光度法

本研究建立了一种用空气-乙炔火焰原子吸收分光光度法测定浸渍活性炭中银含量的分析方法，对酸介质浓度、共存元素的干扰进行了探讨，在0—1．0ml沪范围内，银含量与吸光度呈线性关系，相关系数为0．9999。对09型浸渍活性炭标准物质进行测定，测定结果的相对标准偏差为0．191％（n=10），加标回收率为97．5％-101．4％。     

Flame regime estimations of gasoline explosion in a tube

Flame regime of gasoline-air mixture explosion is related to chemical reaction, turbulent flow and heat and mass transfer. Experimental data of gas velocity, pressure and flame temperature of gasoline-air mixture explosion in a tube at the equivalence ratio of 0.72, 1.00 and 1.28 were preliminarily acquired. Then, fluctuating velocities, overpressures, and burned and unburned gas temperatures at early stage (50 ms), intermediate stage (150 ms) and last stage (250 ms) in three explosions were determined through the analysis of the experimental data. Finally, the Damköhler number and Reynolds number of the early, intermediate and late stage were calculated respectively, and the flame regimes for each stage were estimated through the Damköhler number vs. Reynolds number diagram. Results show that all the flames at early, intermediate and late stage of the three explosions have the same regime of flamelets-in-eddies. The conclusions can provide some useful references for further study of the flame regime and the numerical analysis model selection of gasoline-air mixture explosion.