Persistence of Bacillus thuringiensis deposits in a hardwood forest,after aerial application of a commercial formulation at two dosage rates

Abstract

A commercial formulation of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner var. kurstaki (BTK), Foray® 48B, was sprayed aerially over four blocks B13, B14, B15A and B15B in an oak forest in Wayne County, Pennsylvania during May 1990. B13 and B14 were sprayed at 75 billion international units (BIU) in 5.91 litres/ha and the other two at 50 BIU in 3.94 litres/ha. Oak foliage was collected at different intervals of time after treatment. Three types of bioassays were conducted against fourth instar gypsy moth larvae, viz., direct feeding of sprayed foliage, feeding on diet containing homogenized foliage, and force‐feeding of foliar extracts. Larval mortalities were converted into international units of BTK activity per unit area (IU/cm²) of foliage. Foliar extracts were also subjected to enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine the concentration of delta‐endotoxin protein. Regardless of the type of bioassay used, bioactivity of BTK persisted in foliage for about a week in all the blocks. The half‐life of inactivation, DT₅₀, ranged from ca 12 to 22 h. The immunoassay data indicated a shorter duration of persistence (i.e., about 2 d) of the delta‐endotoxin protein, with DT₅₀ values ranging from 10 to 15 h. Formulation ingredients present in Foray 48B played a role in the toxicity of BTK to gypsy moth larvae.     

Levels of Persistent Organochlorine Residues in Eggs of Greater Flamingos from the Guadalquivir Marshes (Doñana), Spain

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) residue levels were determined in 53 unhatched eggs from greater roseus flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber). Eggs were collected in 1996 from the National Park of Doñana (Guadalquivir marshes, Southwest Spain), immediately after one breeding colony abandoned the nesting site due to predator attacks. The main metabolite of p,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDE, was the OCP residue found at higher concentrations, with a geometric mean of 721 ng/g wet weight. Residues of other pesticides, including some hexachlorocyclohexane isomers, hexachlorobenzene, aldrin, heptachlor, and heptachlor-epoxide, were detected at much lower concentrations. The sum of PCBs was 528 ng/g, with PCB congeners #187 and #153 being the most prominent in eggs. The pattern observed in these compounds of industrial origin corresponded more to Aroclor 1260 than to any other commercial mixture. Levels of organochlorine residues indicate a medium degree of exposure, and they are not considered of any concern for the flamingo population. In particular, neither p,p′-DDE nor PCB levels were found to be correlated with the eggshell thickness.     

Nanocomposites of Cellulose Acetate Butyrate Reinforced with Cellulose Nanocrystals

Nanocrystals were prepared by acid hydrolysis of bacterial cellulose microfibrils. These were topochemically trimethylsilylated, in an attempt to reduce their hydrophilicity. Composites were made by dispersing either native or silylated crystals in cellulose acetatebutyrate matrixes and solution casting of the dispersions. Particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The composites were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis. The unmodified cellulose crystals exhibited better reinforcement characteristics than the trimethylsilated crystals.     

上海市经济-环境系统的物质输入分析

对区域或城市经济-环境系统的物质输入分析。可以判断可持续发展所处的状态。进而为区域或城市制定循环经济发展战略提供依据。利用物质流的理论和方法．依据欧盟指导原则，分析了1990—2003年间上海市经济-环境系统的物质总需求和资源生产率等主要指标。研究结果表明：①上海市巨大的物质总需求和直接物质消耗给上海市的生态环境带来了巨大的压力；②1996年上海市的资源生产率是全国的1．22倍．但2000年日本的资源生产率是上海市的36倍；③影响上海市的物质总需求或者环境质量的关键因素是技术和制度能力。在上述的分析基础上。提出在2020年之前上海市发展循环经济要注重于输入端的减物质化和加强循环绍济的技术支撑研究与开发以及制度能力建设。     

梯度负荷下果蔬垃圾厌氧消化性能及微生物群落结构的研究

为优化果蔬垃圾厌氧消化工艺,提高厌氧消化性能,本文通过逐级提高CSTR反应器进料负荷,研究不同负荷下的厌氧消化性能及相应的微生物群落结构变化规律.结果表明,随着进料负荷的增高,容积产气率、甲烷产气量、氨氮、碱度、TCOD、SCOD均逐渐增高,在最高负荷(负荷以VS计)2.50g·L-·1d-1时分别达到最大值:1.22L·L-1d-1,5.10L·d-1,1563.86mg·L-1,7572.23mg·L-1,13283.26mg·L-1,2075.03mg·L-1,甲烷含量及VFA分别稳定在52.46%～54.59%和(879.30±18.69)mg·L-1;同时利用PCR-DGGE技术系统分析了厌氧消化中细菌与古细菌的群落结构,测序结果表明,整个过程中拟杆菌(Bacteroidetes)、甲烷鬃菌(Methanosaeta)及甲烷螺菌(Methanospirillum)为优势微生物,随着负荷的提高,甲烷鬃毛菌(Methanosaeta)活性逐渐降低;聚类分析及主成分分析表明,低负荷条件下(1.50g·L-·1d-1、1.75g·L-·1d-1),微生物种类(细菌、古细菌)差别不明显,且基本处于同一阶段.     

溶解性有机质对罗红霉素光降解的影响研究

近年来,罗红霉素(ROX)因其用量大、检出频率高和生态风险大引起了广泛关注.本文主要研究了环境pH条件下不同的溶解性有机质(DOM),包括富里酸(PLFA)、腐殖酸(SRHA)和天然有机质(SRNOM)对罗红霉素光降解的影响及主要活性物种对其光降解的贡献.结果表明:纯水中罗红霉素可发生自敏化光降解,在pH 6～8条件下,罗红霉素光降解的一级反应速率常数为0.0033～0.0049 h~(-1).DOM促进了罗红霉素光降解,其促进效果从大到小为PLFASRNOMSRHA.DOM共存时罗红霉素光降解的反应速率常数随pH增加而增加,在pH 6时为0.0145～0.0266 h~(-1),在pH 8时为0.0273～0.0577 h~(-1).通过异丙醇淬灭实验发现,羟基自由基(·OH)对罗红霉素光降解起主要贡献,其贡献率在pH 6时为83.45%～98.70%,在pH 8时降低至76.76%～78.02%;3种DOM体系中产生的单态氧(~1O_2)的稳态浓度在(5.15～7.86)×10~(-14) mol·L~(-1)范围内;在pH 6、7和8的条件下,~1O_2与罗红霉素的二级反应速率常数分别为2.27×10~5、1.96×10~6和1.51×10~7 L·mol~(-1)·s~(-1).~1O_2对罗红霉素的光降解的贡献随pH升高而升高,在pH 6时为0.21%～0.43%,在pH 8时为4.85%～11.33%.     

宁东基地大气PAHs污染特征及呼吸暴露风险

利用主动观测技术对宁东能源化工基地大气PM_2.5、PM_1.0和气相中的PAHs浓度水平、族谱特征、时空分布及来源进行研究,并基于该观测数据对居民呼吸暴露健康风险进行评估.结果表明,宁东基地大气PM_2.5、PM_1.0及气相中∑₁₆PAHs浓度范围分别为：17.95~325.12ng/m³、12.66~311.96ng/m³和26.33~97.88ng/m³,年均浓度分别为（99.42±117.48）ng/m³、（78.88±100.58）ng/m³和（57.89±47.39）ng/m³.宝丰基地冬夏季大气PM_2.5、PM_1.0和气相中∑₁₆PAHs浓度水平均明显高于英力特;宝丰和英力特基地冬季大气PM_2.5、PM_1.0中∑₁₆PAHs浓度水平均明显高于夏季浓度.宁东基地大气中∑₁₆PAHs的浓度水平要高于国内外其他城市,大气PAHs污染较为严重.源解析表明夏季宁东基地PAHs的主要排放源是工业煤燃烧和机动车尾气,冬季则主要来自工业煤燃烧和木材、薪柴等生物质燃烧排放.宁东基地人群暴露于大气PAHs可能会造成平均冬季每百万人中约有33~2628人罹患癌症,夏季每百万人中约有11~834人罹患癌症的风险.     

Morphology and composition of particles emitted from a port fuel injection gasoline vehicle under real-world driving test cycles

Traffic vehicles, many of which are powered by port fuel injection (PFI) engines, are major sources of particulate matter in the urban atmosphere. We studied particles from the emission of a commercial PFI-engine vehicle when it was running under the states of cold start, hot start, hot stabilized running, idle and acceleration, using a transmission electron microscope and an energy-dispersive X-ray detector. Results showed that the particles were mainly composed of organic, soot, and Ca-rich particles, with a small amount of S-rich and metal-containing particles, and displayed a unimodal size distribution with the peak at 600?nm. The emissions were highest under the cold start running state, followed by the hot start, hot stabilized, acceleration, and idle running states. Organic particles under the hot start and hot stabilized running states were higher than those of other running states. Soot particles were highest under the cold start running state. Under the idle running state, the relative number fraction of Ca-rich particles was high although their absolute number was low. These results indicate that PFI-engine vehicles emit substantial primary particles, which favor the formation of secondary aerosols via providing reaction sites and reaction catalysts, as well as supplying soot, organic, mineral and metal particles in the size range of the accumulation mode. In addition, the contents of Ca, P, and Zn in organic particles may serve as fingerprints for source apportionment of particles from PFI-engine vehicles.     

Swedish environmental psychology

Environmental psychology research in Sweden is reviewed beginning with studies in the 1960s. The traditional main foci of the Swedish research are the visual perception of form, space, colour, and texture, the meaning of social and physical environments; and the effects of the indoor and outdoor ambient environment (noise, air quality and temperature). More recent research foci include environmental cognition (perceptual categorization, cognitive mapping, orientation, planning), affective reactions to the environment, and systems applications. It is concluded that the Swedish research is integrated with environmental psychology research in other countries in terms of a common data base and methodology, despite the fact that the problems investigated are to some extent national in tone. It is also pointed out that the Swedish research appears to have the potential of theoretical contributions to environmental psychology, which is badly needed within the field as a whole.