Investigation of fault position and sources of radon by measurement of 238U decay series radionuclide activity in soil samples

North Derbyshire is designated a Radon Affected Area by the National Radiological Protection Board of Great Britain since more than 1% of the housing stock is estimated to have radon levels in excess of the 200 Bq m-3 Action Level. Enhanced radon emissions associated with geological faults make knowledge of their position important in relation to any potential residential or industrial development. A general survey of radionuclides present in the soils of north Derbyshire and their relationship to the underlying geology highlighted the difficulty of identifying the position of geological faults in the field. Using gamma-ray spectroscopy of soil samples the activity of three 238U decay series radionuclides (226Ra, 214Pb and 214Bi), which were taken as evidence of the presence of 222Rn which occurs in the same decay series, was measured to indicate the position of a fault by enhanced activity. The results also provided some evidence of the source of radon emitted at the fault. A comparison of this methodology with the more conventional soil gas analysis method is made.     

Aphid alarm pheromone (E)-β-farnesene: A host finding kairomone for the aphid primary parasitoidAphidius uzbekistanicus (Hymenoptera: Aphidiinae)

Summary The present study aimed to test the possible function of the aphid alarm pheromone (E)--farnesene (EBF) as a host finding kairomone for aphid primary parasitoids. Extracts of volatile emissions of undisturbed aphids and of aphids under parasitoid attack were obtained by air entrainment. Extracts of cornicle secretions were gained by disturbing aphids and taking their secretions into solution. Extracts were compared by gas chromatography. Only air entrainments of aphids under attack and solvent extracts of cornicle secretions contained the alarm pheromone. In Y-tube olfactometer bioassays, femaleA. uzbekistanicus were attracted to aphid groups under attack of parasitoids, presumably by released EBF. High concentrations of synthetic EBF (1.4 µg to 5.7 µg) also attractedA. uzbekistanicus females. Females with oviposition experience reacted more readily to lower concentrations of EBF than females without experience. In experiments designed as Petri-dish bioassays, the test animals could contact filter paper discs that were treated with solutions containing EBF. Behavioural effects like antennation or stinging attack were not observed. With computer video analysis of parasitoid movements, some effects onA. uzbekistanicus behaviour were detected, again indicating attraction to EBF.As the volatile aphid alarm pheromone attractedA. uzbekistanicus females, it can be concluded that this chemical stimulus acts as a host finding kairomone for this parasitoid species. However, its effect over long distances seems to be limited due to the relatively high concentrations required for reactions. Of two other parasitoid species examined (P. volucre andL. testaceipes) onlyP. volucre was also significantly attracted to the volatile EBF in the Y-tube olfactometer.     

Quantifying the efficiency of soil sampling designs: A multivariate approach

The objective of this paper is to quantify and compare the loss functions of the standard two-stage design and its composite sample alternative in the context of multivariate soil sampling. The loss function is defined (conceptually) as the ratio of cost over information and measures design inefficiency. The efficiency of the design is the reciprocal of the loss function. The focus of this paper is twofold: (a) we define a measure of multivariate information using the Kullback–Leibler distance, and (b) we derive the variance-covariance structure for two soil sampling designs: a standard two-stage design and its composite sample counterpart. Randomness in the mass of soil samples is taken into account in both designs. A pilot study in Slovenia is used to demonstrate the calculations of the loss function and to compare the efficiency of the two designs. The results show that the composite sample design is more efficient than the two-stage design. The efficiency ratio is 1.3 for pH, 2.0 for C, 2.1 for N, and 2.5 for CEC. The multivariate efficiency ratio is 2.3. These ratios primarily reflect cost ratios; influence of the information is small.     

Is there a relationship between soil and groundwater toxicity?

Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 requires environmental regulators to assess the risk of contaminants leaching from soils into groundwater (DETR, 1999). This newly introduced legislation assumes a link between soil and groundwater chemistry, in which rainwater leaches contaminants from soil into the saturated zone. As the toxicity of both groundwater and overlying soils is dependent upon the chemicals present, their partitioning and their bioavailability, similar patterns of soil, leachates and groundwater toxicity should be observed at contaminated sites. Soil and groundwater samples were collected from different contaminated land sites in an urban area, and used to determine relationships between soil chemistry and toxicity, mobility of contaminants, and groundwater chemistry and toxicity. Soils were leached using water to mimic rainfall, and both the soils and leachates tested using bioassays. Soil bioassays were carried out using Eisenia fetida, whilst groundwater and leachates were tested using the Microtox test system and Daphnia magna 48 h acute tests. Analysis of the bioassay responses demonstrated that a number of the samples were toxic to test organisms, however, there were no significant statistical relationships between soil, groundwater and leachate toxicity. Nor were there significant correlations between soil, leachates and groundwater chemistry.     

The effect of diesel fuel on common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) plants

When petroleum hydrocarbons contaminate soil, the carbon:nitrogen (C:N) ratio of the soil is altered. The added carbon stimulates microbial numbers but causes an imbalance in the C:N ratio which may result in immobilization of soil nitrogen by the microbial biomass, leaving none available for plant growth. As members of Leguminosae fix atmospheric nitrogen to produce their own nitrogen for growth, they may prove more successful at growing on petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated sites. During a wider study on phytoremediation of diesel fuel contaminated soil, particular attention was given to the performance of legumes versus other plant species. During harvesting of pot experiments containing leguminous plants, a recurring difference in the number and formation of root nodules present on control and contaminated Common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) plants was observed. The total number of nodules per plant was significantly reduced in contaminated plants compared to control plants but nodules on contaminated plants were more developed than corresponding nodules on control plants. Plant performance of Common vetch and Westerwold's ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.) was compared to illustrate any difference between the ability of legumes and grasses to grow on diesel fuel contaminated soil. Common vetch was less affected by diesel fuel and performed better in low levels of diesel fuel contaminated soil than Westerwolds ryegrass. The total amount of diesel fuel remaining after 4 months in Common vetch planted soil was slightly less than in Westerwolds ryegrass planted soil.     

Dynamics of Turbulence in Low-Speed Oscillating Bottom-Boundary Layers of Stratified Basins

This paper focuses on the impact of an oscillating low-speed current on the structure and dynamics of the bottom-boundary layer (BBL) in a small stratified basin. A set of high-resolution current profile measurements in combination with temperature-microstructure measurements were collected during a complete cycle of the internal oscillation (`seiching') in the BBL of Lake Alpnach, Switzerland. It was found that even a relatively long seiching period of 24 hours significantly changed the form of the near-bottom current profiles as well as the dynamics of the turbulent dissipation rate compared to the steady-state law-of-the-wall. A logarithmic fit to the measured current profiles starting at a distance of 0.5 m above the sediment led to inconsistent estimates of both friction velocity and roughness length. Moreover, a phase lag between the current and the turbulent dissipation of 1.5 hours and a persistent maximum in the current profile at a height of 2.5 to 3 m above the sediment were observed. The experimental findings were compared to the results of a k- turbulence model and showed good agreement in general. Specifically, the inconsistent logarithmic fitting results and the observed phase lag were reproduced well by the model.     

Dufour’s gland pheromone as a reliable fertility signal among honeybee (Apis mellifera) workers

When a colony becomes queenless and without the possibility of requeening, honeybee workers initiate reproduction and lay male eggs about a week later. Assays in which two bees were confined in a small arena revealed that they establish a reproductive dominance hierarchy, i.e., one worker demonstrates greater ovarian development than her paired bee. Reproductive dominance is independent of relatedness, and can be established between full sisters, cousins, or random nestmates. A social environment, however, is obligatory, as singly housed bees fail to develop ovaries on the same time scale. Allowing varying degrees of social interactions between the paired bees revealed that olfaction of volatile bee compounds, as well as tactile communication, seem to provide the necessary social environment. Ovarian development was accompanied by the production of queen-like Dufours gland secretion in these workers. Especially notable was the increase in the queen-like esters. This increase was tightly linked to ovarian development and not necessarily to the dominance status of the bees in the pair. Thus, the occurrence of queen-like esters can serve as a reliable fertility signal. Advertising ovarian status may recruit helper workers with less developed ovaries (and which are less likely to successfully reproduce before colony breakdown) to assist their nestmates and thereby gain inclusive fitness. Revealing the role of Dufours gland secretion as a fertility signal adds another dimension to our understanding of how queen pheromones operate. The mandibular-gland secretion is a good predictor of dominance hierarchy, being correlated with false-queen characteristics but not fertility, whereas Dufours gland secretion is a good predictor of fertility but not dominance hierarchy.Communicated by R.F.A. Moritz     

雷州无瓣海桑群落7种元素的生物累积和循环

在雷州市附城镇岚北人工生态恢复的 7a生无瓣海桑群落生物量调查的基础上 ,对所采集的无瓣海桑进行了植物体各组分样品的灰分和元素含量测定与循环分析 ,结果表明 :无瓣海桑植物体不同组分的灰分含量范围为 2 .2 7%～ 2 6 .4 1% ,以细根的含量最高 ,枯枝的含量最低 .植物体各组分中 7种元素质量分数范围分别为K 0 .11%～ 1.5 6 % ,Na0 .11%～ 1.6 6 % ,Ca 0 .2 0 %～ 2 .6 6 % ,Mg 0 .15 %～ 1.5 9% ,Fe 0 .0 4× 10 -3 ～ 9.6 4× 10 -3 ,Zn 0 .0 5× 10 -4～ 1.0 3× 10 -4,Cu0 .16× 10 -5～ 1.5 0× 10 -5.其加权平均的富集系数为 0 .0 5～ 9.70 ,其中Ca >K >Cu >Na >Mg>Zn >Fe .群落现存生物量中的累积储量分别为K 10 9.76gm-2 ,Ca 138.89gm-2 ,Na 86 .5 7gm-2 ,Mg 81.0 7gm-2 ,Fe 13.139gm-2 ,Zn 0 .4 83gm-2 ,Cu 0 .10 8gm-2 .群落 2 0 0 1年的元素存留累积储量分别为Ca4 1.6 8gm-2 ,K 37.2 4gm-2 ,Mg 2 7.33gm-2 ,Na2 5 .5 6gm-2 ,Fe 4 .2 75gm-2 ,Zn 0 .188gm-2 ,Cu 0 .0 39gm-2 .2 0 0 1年归还量分别为Ca 2 8.5 9gm-2 ,K 16 .83gm-2 ,Mg 12 .0 7gm-2 ,Na 11.5 8gm-2 ,Fe 0 .916gm-2 ,Zn 0 .14 1gm-2 ,Cu 0 .0 2 6gm-2 .年吸收量分别为Ca 70 .2 7gm-2 ,K 5 4 .0 7gm-2 ,Mg 39.4 0gm-2 ,Na 37.1     

钢板力学性能对FLD0影响的试验研究

对上海宝钢公司生产的15种冷轧冲压用钢进行了力学和FLD试验,探讨了σs/σb、δ、n值、r值对成形极限平面应变特征点(FLD0)的影响.研究表明FLD0随σs/σb上升而下降,随着δ、n值、r值的上升而提高.在板材力学性能指标中,n值对FLD0的影响最为显著.