Dechlorination of 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene in the sediment of Ise Bay

The relation between dechlorination activities of 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene and anaerobic microbial activity were studied in the sediment collected at three sites in Ise Bay in Japan. The degradation rate of spiked 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene (3nmol ml⁻¹) ranged from 15 to 35 pmol day⁻¹ ml⁻¹ wet sediment and about 1/3 to 1/2 of degraded the trichlorobenzene was recovered as dechlorinated products. Among the dichlorobenzenes, the 1,2-isomer had the highest and 1,3-isomer had the lowest production rate. Comparing the three sampling sites, the trichlorobenzene degradation and dichlorobenzenes production rates were related to the sulfate reducing activity for the unit number of sulfate reducing bacteria. Production rates of dichlorobenzenes were completely inhibited by adding molybdate (20 mM), nitrate (60 mM), and formaldehyde solution (4 %). These results indicated that dechlorination activity in the Ise Bay sediment was supported by sulfate reduction activity in the sediment, and not supported by any other anaerobic microbial activity.     

Pollutants and the health of green sea turtles resident to an urbanized estuary in San Diego, CA

Rapid expansion of coastal anthropogenic development means that critical foraging and developmental habitats often occur near highly polluted and urbanized environments. Although coastal contamination is widespread, the impact this has on long-lived vertebrates like the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) is unclear because traditional experimental methods cannot be applied. We coupled minimally invasive sampling techniques with health assessments to quantify contaminant patterns in a population of green turtles resident to San Diego Bay, CA, a highly urbanized and contaminated estuary. Several chemicals were correlated with turtle size, suggesting possible differences in physiological processes or habitat utilization between life stages. With the exception of mercury, higher concentrations of carapace metals as well as 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) and γ chlordane in blood plasma relative to other sea turtle studies raises important questions about the chemical risks to turtles resident to San Diego Bay. Mercury concentrations exceeded immune function no-effects thresholds and increased carapace metal loads were correlated with higher levels of multiple health markers. These results indicate immunological and physiological effects studies are needed in this population. Our results give insight into the potential conservation risk contaminants pose to sea turtles inhabiting this contaminated coastal habitat, and highlight the need to better manage and mitigate contaminant exposure in San Diego Bay.     

Organophosphorus flame retardants and plasticizers in the atmosphere of the North Sea

Air samples collected in the German part of the North Sea from March to July 2010 were investigated for organophosphorus compounds (OPs) being applied as flame retardants and plasticizers. The ∑₈OPs concentration ranged from 110 to 1400 pg m⁻³ while tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCPP) dominated all samples with individual concentrations up to 1200 pg m⁻³. The highest concentrations were observed in continental air masses showing the high influence of industrialized regions including production sites on atmospheric emissions and concentrations. The occurrence of OPs even in oceanic/Arctic air masses shows that OPs can undergo long-range atmospheric transport. Dry particle-bound deposition fluxes from 9 to 240 ng m⁻² d⁻¹ for ∑₈OPs were estimated leading to a minimum annual flux of 710 ± 580 kg y⁻¹ OPs into the German North Sea. This study presents the first occurrence of OPs in the marine atmosphere together with important information on their long-range transport potential.     

Monitoring the formation of trihalomethanes in the effluents from a shrimp hatchery

Formation of trihalomethanes (THM) was monitored at the Laboratório de Camarões Marinhos (LCM) from the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. THM could be present because chlorinated effluents from disinfection are discharged from the different hatchery rooms. THM quantification was done through an analytical methodology using Purge&;Trap coupled with a gas chromatograph equipped with an electron capture detector. Relative standard deviation (RSD), limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for the methodology corresponded to the ranges of 8–17%; 0.01–0.03 μg L^?1 and 0.03–0.08 μg L^?1, respectively. Linear working range was of 0.1–8.0 μg L^?1 for all compounds. Enrichment and recovery method was applied to evaluate possible matrix effects and the results varied from 71.2% to 107.9%. LCM was monitored between August and December, 2004. This study showed that THM did not increase with the increase in postlarvae production and also that the aquatic life and the surrounding environment were not affected.     

Characterization of plutonium in deep-sea sediments of the Sulu and South China Seas

Anthropogenic Pu isotopes are important geochemical tracers for sediment studies. Their distributions and sources in the water columns as well as the sediments of the North Pacific have been intensively studied; however, information about Pu in the Southeast Asian seas is limited. To study the isotopic composition of Pu, and thus to identify its sources, we collected sediment core samples in the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea during the KH-96-5 Cruise of the R/V Hakuho Maru. We analysed the activities of ^239+240Pu and the atom ratios of ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu using isotope dilution sector-field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SF-ICP-MS). The ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu atom ratios in the sediments of both areas (inventory weighted mean: 0.251 for the South China Sea and 0.280 for the Sulu Sea) were higher than the global fallout value (0.178 ± 0.019), suggesting the existence of Pu from the Pacific Proving Grounds in the North Pacific. Low inventories of ^239+240Pu in sediments were observed in the South China Sea (3.75 Bq/m²) and the Sulu Sea (1.38 Bq/m²). Most of the Pu input is still present in the water column. Scavenging and benthic mixing processes were considered to be the main processes controlling the distribution of Pu in the deep-sea sediments of both study areas.     

Monitoring of eutrophication and nutrient limitation in the Izmir Bay (Turkey) before and after Wastewater Treatment Plant

The distribution of inorganic nutrients and phytoplankton chlorophyll-a was investigated and N/P ratios were determined in Izmir Bay during 1996-2001. The average concentrations showed ranges of 0.01-0.19 and 0.01-10 microM for phosphate-phosphorus; 0.11-1.8 and 0.13-27 microM for (nitrate+nitrite)-nitrogen, 0.30-4.1 and 0.50-39 microM for silicate and 0.02-4.3 and 0.10-26 microg l(-1) for chlorophyll-a in the outer and middle-inner bays, respectively. The results are compared with the values obtained from the relatively unpolluted waters of the Aegean Sea. The N/P ratio is significantly lower than the assimilatory optimal (N/P=15:1) in conformity with Redfield's ratio N/P=16:1. Nitrogen is the limiting element in the Izmir Bay. Phosphate, which originates from detergents, is an important source for eutrophication in the bay, especially in the inner bay. In early 2000, a Wastewater Treatment Plant (WTP) began to treat domestic and industrial wastes. This plant treats the wastes about 60% capacity between 2000 and 2001. The sampling periods cover before and after treatment plant. Although the capacity of wastewater plant is sufficient for removal of nitrogen from the wastes, it is inadequate for removal of phosphate. This is also in accordance with the decreasing N/P ratios observed during 2000-2001 (after WTP) in the middle-inner bays.     

渤海海域生态系统服务功能价值评估

客观评估海洋生态系统服务功能价值。对于生态环境保护以及海洋综合管理具有重要意义。以海洋生态系统服务功能分类为基础．构建了食品生产、提供基因资源、氧气生产和气候调节、废弃物处理、生物控制、休闲娱乐、科研文化、初级生产、物种多样性维持等九项服务功能价值的评估方法。以渤海为研究区域．对上述九项生态系统服务功能价值进行了定量评价。结果表明。渤海海域九项生态系统服务功能的价值为81703亿元．相当于近期环渤海地区生产总值的1．73倍．其中直接使用价值为12873亿元,间接使用价值68830亿元．间接使用价值远大于直接使用价值;渤海海域生态系统服务价值,以支持功能价值为主,占生态系统服务功能总价值的74．68％。此外．认为海洋生态系统服务功能分类和价值评价方法有待进一步完善．渤海海域生态系统服务功能价值的评估值与实际有偏差。     

渤海海峡跨海通道建设环境影响研究

渤海海峡跨海通道建设是一项高技术、高投入的特大战略性工程，工程建设具有重大的经济、军事和政治意义，但是也必将对环境产生重大影响。本文在对各界专家一致推荐的“伏贴式隧道和隧道桥”方案进行简要分析的基础上．论述了对工程建设进行环境影响研究的必要性，提出了环境影响评价工作程序与工程决策生命周期的耦合过程，以便从工程源头控制环境影响的产生；初步探讨了工程施工期和运营期的环境影响识别内容，结果表明：采用“伏贴式隧道和隧道桥”方案，相对于其它方案对资源、生态环境的干扰和影响是最小的；并提出了预防和减缓不良环境影响的对策措施，为工程的环保施工与运营提供科学依据。     

厦门海岸带湿地变化的研究

通过“压力-状态-响应”分析模型，对厦门海岸带湿地变化的主要原因（压力）、成分退化和结构改变（状态）以及对厦门海岸带生态系统的主要影响（响应力）之间的作用机制进行了探讨。提出厦门海岸带湿地面临的主要压力来自海岸带围垦造地、近海滩涂养殖和九龙江河口输入；状态变化突出表现在浅海海域面积的减少。红树林的面积减少。近岸泥沙淤积。沉积物类型改变和沉积物污染；主要影响是造成厦门海域水质下降、近海底橙生物类型改变、航道泥沙淤积、水产养殖产量下降和珍稀海洋物种分布和数量改变。     

大连市海产品中短链氯化石蜡的含量与分布研究

氯化石蜡（chlorinated paraffins,CPs）是一类广泛使用的工业化学品,常用作阻燃剂、增塑剂等添加到塑料及其制品中。其中,短链氯化石蜡（short-chain CPs, SCCPs）和中链氯化石蜡（medium-chain CPs, MCCPs）因其环境持久性、生物累积性和水生生物毒性受到全球关注。我国是氯化石蜡生产和使用的大国,SCCPs和MCCPs在海洋环境的赋存和生态风险尤其值得关注。本研究采集了北黄海12种海洋生物,采用稳定氮/碳同位素分析方法确定其营养级。基于气相色谱−静电场轨道阱高分辨质谱（gas chromatography-electrostatic field orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry,GC-Orbitrap-HRMS）对SCCPs和MCCPs进行定量分析,探究中国北黄海海域海洋生物体内SCCPs和MCCPs的分布特征,并对其暴露风险进行评估。结果表明,SCCPs和MCCPs在所有采集样本中普遍存在,SCCPs浓度为29.2～2450.4 ng/g dw,略高于MCCPs（12.1～1362.8 ng/g dw）。生物体内SCCPs和MCCPs干重浓度与脂质含量具有较强的相关性（r²=0.61,p<0.05）。SCCPs同系物分布以C₁₀-CPs和C₁₁-CPs为主,MCCPs以C₁₄-CPs为主。SCCPs和MCCPs中均为Cl_7-8同系物丰度最高。SCCPs及MCCPs同系物的生物放大因子（biomagnification factors,BMF） 随着辛醇−水分配系数（octanol-water partition coefficient,log Kow ）的增加呈下降趋势。SCCPs（BMF=0.23）和MCCPs（BMF=0.14）在许氏平鲉（Sebastes schlegelii）与小黄鱼 （Larimichthys polyactis）之间表现出生物稀释作用。此外,还对食用鱼类中SCCPs和MCCPs的潜在暴露风险进行了评估,其风险熵（hazard quotient,HQ）最大值分别为0.04 和0.06,均无风险。对于农村和城镇居民而言,通过食用这些鱼类而摄入的SCCPs和MCCPs水平不会对人体健康造成显著影响。