Why are Prices in Wild Catch and Aquaculture Industries so Different?

Through a comparative analysis of prices in capture fisheries and aquaculture sectors, the objectives of this paper are a) to investigate three the trends in prices of forage catches to feed the aquaculture species, b) to analyze the amount of fish species need to feed aquaculture species in order to assess the level of efficiency in resource use, and c) to examine the degree of economic concentration either in wild-catch industry and aquaculture sectors. The results show that prices of cultivated species are higher than prices of the same species when harvested from the sea. We explain this fact by the interplay of three forces. First, the amount of wild fish to feed aquaculture species continues to improve over time. Second, the pressure of fishing activities has not been reduced since catches of most forage fishes are declining, which induce higher prices of capture species that feed aquaculture production. Third, the level of seafood market concentration is significantly higher in aquaculture than in wild catches, which generates higher prices in aquaculture.     

Growth and photosynthetic responses to copper in wild grapevine

The present study evaluates the tolerance and accumulation potential of Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris under moderate and high external Cu levels. A greenhouse experiment was conducted in order to investigate the effects of a range of external Cu concentrations (0–23 mmol L⁻¹) on growth and photosynthetic performance by measuring gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and photosynthetic pigments. We also measured the total copper, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium and sodium concentrations in the plant tissues. All the experimental plants survived even with external Cu concentrations as high as 23 mmol L⁻¹ (1500 mg Cu L⁻¹), although the excess of metal resulted in a biomass reduction of 35%. The effects of Cu on growth were linked to a reduction in net photosynthesis, which may be related to the effect of the high concentration of the metal on photosynthetic electron transport. V. vinifera ssp. sylvestris survived with leaf Cu concentrations as high as 80 mg kg⁻¹ DW and growth parameters were unaffected by leaf tissue concentrations of 35 mg Cu kg⁻¹ DW. The results of our study indicate that plants of V. vinifera ssp. sylvestris from the studied population are more tolerant to Cu than the commercial varieties of grapevine that have been studied in the literature, and could constitute a basis for the genetic improvement of Cu tolerance in grapevine.     

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products found in the Great Lakes above concentrations of environmental concern

The monitoring of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) has focused on the distribution in rivers and small lakes, but data regarding their occurrence and effects in large lake systems, such as the Great Lakes, are sparse. Wastewater treatment processes have not been optimized to remove influent PPCPs and are a major source of PPCPs in the environment. Furthermore, PPCPs are not currently regulated in wastewater effluent. In this experiment we evaluated the concentration, and corresponding risk, of PPCPs from a wastewater effluent source at varying distances in Lake Michigan. Fifty-four PPCPs and hormones were assessed on six different dates over a two-year period from surface water and sediment samples up to 3.2 km from a wastewater treatment plant and at two sites within a harbor. Thirty-two PPCPs were detected in Lake Michigan and 30 were detected in the sediment, with numerous PPCPs being detected up to 3.2 km away from the shoreline. The most frequently detected PPCPs in Lake Michigan were metformin, caffeine, sulfamethoxazole, and triclosan. To determine the ecological risk, the maximum measured environmental concentrations were compared to the predicted no-effect concentration and 14 PPCPs were found to be of medium or high ecological risk. The environmental risk of PPCPs in large lake systems, such as the Great Lakes, has been questioned due to high dilution; however, the concentrations found in this study, and their corresponding risk quotient, indicate a significant threat by PPCPs to the health of the Great Lakes, particularly near shore organisms.     

Photolysis Behavior of Herbicide Propisochlor in Water Media and Preliminary Analysis of Photoproducts Under Different Light Sources

Photolysis behavior of a new herbicide propisochlor in water media as well as the effects of light sources, initial concentration of propisochlor, pH value, dissolved oxygen (DO) level, and salinity on the photolysis process was investigated. It was found that the relationship between initial concentration of propisochlor and its photodegradation rate was negatively correlated. The changes in acidity and alkalinity of the reaction medium influenced the photoreaction rate evidently. In the alkaline solution the degradation was accelerated. In the reaction media with different pH values, the photolysis followed the first-order kinetics. The presence of dissolved oxygen may promote the photolysis and there existed an optimum of dissolved oxygen concentrations. Increasing the DO level can weaken the promotion and even have an adverse effect. It was demonstrated that with dissolved oxygen the photodegradation of propisochlor followed the first-order kinetics equation. The addition of salt ions Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ changed the ionic strength and solvent polarity, resulting in the effect on propisochlor photolysis. The photoproducts were detected by both HPLC and GC-MS methods. It was found that photolysis products varied under different light sources. Conclusions may be reached that in the photodegradation of propisochlor, the benzene ring remained intact under irradiation of both solar light and high-pressure mercury lamp, and the amido link was relatively stable, while dechlorination was liable to take place; moreover, α-hydrogen at the substituent of benzene ring was active.     

可变电荷土壤和恒电荷土壤Cl-吸附特性的研究

对不同浓度KCl和不同pH下,3种可变电荷土壤和4种恒电荷土壤Cl-吸附量进行了测定。结果表明,土壤Cl-吸附量随平衡Cl-浓度C（e）增加而增大,恒电荷土壤呈线性,可变电荷土壤在添加Cl-0.5~5.0mmol/L下,符合Langmuir吸附等温式。同一浓度下的Cl-吸附量及其随浓度增加的速率均为砖红壤>红壤>赤红壤>黄棕壤>棕壤、暗棕壤和黑土,与这些土壤所带正电荷量顺序相一致。Langmuir方程K值较小且几种土壤差异不大。恒电荷土壤对Cl-的吸附量很小,在浓度较低时常出现负吸附,其吸附机理可能更多的是与K+吸附时的同时吸附。7种土壤Cl-吸附量均随pH增加而降低,但降低强度可变电荷土壤远大于恒电荷土壤。     

Temporal variations of airborne particles concentration in the Brussels environment

We report and analyze data on the PM10 fraction of airborne particles measured at five recording stations in the Brussels region from October 2002 till September 2003. These stations are representative of the various activity sectors of the Brussels urban area. The objective was the determination of the origin of the PM10 particles (particles up to 10 μm) that are recorded in that region in order to follow the EU directives concerning tolerance level of airborne particles concentration. In order to evaluate the impacts of local and external factors that inject solid particles in the atmosphere of Brussels we compared concentration data from working and not working (holidays) periods. Moreover, we also compared concentrations from periods of agricultural activity and rest in the Brabant provinces surrounding the Brussels region for various crop types. The results lead to the conclusion that the impact or urban traffic is rather limited while that of the agricultural activities is important. Moreover, there appears a clear-cut distinction between different types of crops.     

固定源低浓度颗粒物监测技术现状与思考

简述了固定源颗粒物监测技术的国内外现状,建议从规范现有方法和研发新方法入手,对低浓度颗粒物监测方法加以研究和改进。     

差示分光光度法在水质监测中的应用

通过测定高浓度氨氮标准品(GSBZ20005—88)的试验,验证了差示分光光度法在测定高浓度样品时的准确度和精密度,说明差示分光光度法在一定情况下能减少多次稀释所带来的误差,可以快速测定高浓度样品。     

四种化学需氧量测定标准方法的比较

对国内外四种测定低浓度化学需氧量(COD)的方法进行了比对分析。从精密度、准确度、不确定度等方面对这四种方法进行了系统对比。结果表明,在测定低浓度COD的样品时,在准确度方面,除HJ/T399—2007[7]之外的其它三种方法中的任何一种都可以得到稳定可靠的回收率;在精密度方面,5220B.4b[3]和ISO15705—2002[4]的数据与标准文本中的参考数据具有一致性;在不确定度方面,四种方法相差不大,主要影响因素均为样品重复测定引起的不确定度;在方法间的差异及相关性上,采用HJ/T399—2007和其他三种方法得到的结果存在显著差异,而采用其它三种方法测定低浓度COD样品时,得到的结果没有显著差异,并且三种方法之间具有很好的相关性。在实际应用中,5220B.4b、ISO15705—2002和GB 11914—89的数据之间存在较大的随机极差。对比结果表明,5220B.4b、ISO15705—2002和GB11914—89具有可比性,得到的数据都可用。     

兰州市大气颗粒物污染特征分析

对兰州市2011—2012年大气颗粒物污染状况进行了研究,在主导风向上设置采样点,分别连续监测PM10、TSP、风速、能见度。结果表明,兰州市颗粒物浓度的峰值出现在2—4月,TSP浓度最大值可达到2.465 mg/m3,PM10最大值可达到2.079 mg/m3;颗粒物污染的季节性强,以3、4月出现的频率最高,发生时间具有随机性;2012年兰州市全年颗粒物(PM10和TSP)平均小时浓度值低于2011年,沙尘天气发生频次较2011年有所降低,环境空气质量有所改善。