Climate Warming and Pikeperch Year-Class Catches in the Baltic Sea

Climate change scenarios concerning the Baltic Sea predict increase in surface water temperatures. Pikeperch (Sander lucioperca (L.)) inhabits the coastal areas of the northern Baltic Sea and is an important fish species for the Finnish fisheries. The year-class strength of pikeperch varies strongly between years and significantly depends on water temperature. We aimed to study the effects of changing temperature conditions on pikeperch fisheries and distribution based on commercial catch data from the period 1980–2008 in the Finnish coastal areas of the Baltic Sea. The results indicated that warmer summers will produce stronger pikeperch year-classes that consequently contribute significantly to the future catches. The average temperature in June–July explained 40% of the variation in the year-class catches in the Gulf of Finland and 73% in July–August in the Archipelago Sea. During the study period, the distribution of pikeperch catches expanded toward north along the coasts of the Bothnian Sea.     

VFA generation from waste activated sludge: effect of temperature and mixing

The success of enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) depends on the constant availability of volatile fatty acids (VFAs). To reduce costs, waste streams would be a preferred source. Since VFAs were shown to vary in the incoming sewage and fermentate from primary sludge the next available source is waste activated sludge (WAS). The opportunity is particularly good in plants where WAS is stored before shipment. Little information is however available on the rate of VFA release from such sludge, especially at the lower temperatures and under the storage conditions typically found in colder climates. Bench-scale batch tests were performed to investigate the effect of temperature and requirement for mixing on VFA generation from WAS generated in full scale non-EBPR wastewater treatment plant. WAS fermentation was found highly temperature-dependent. Hydrolysis rate constant (k_h) values of 0.17, 0.08 and 0.04 d⁻¹ at 24.6, 14 and 4 °C were obtained, respectively. Arrhenius temperature coefficient was calculated to be 1.07. It took 5 d to complete hydrolysis at 24.6 °C, 7 d at 14 °C, and 9 d at 4 °C. The fermentation lasted for 20 d. At 24.6 °C the mixed reactor reached 84% of the overall VFA production only in 5 d. When temperature dropped to 14 and 4 °C, the ratio of VFA production at day 10 to overall VFA production in the mixed reactor were 62% and 48%, respectively. The overall VFA-COD concentration in the non-mixed reactors was much lower than the mixed reactors. The information is important for the designer as there was uncertainty with the effect of temperature and mixing on sludge fermentation.     

Comparison of the effects of variable site temperatures and constant incubation temperatures on the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in pilot-scale experiments with field-aged contaminated soils from a cold regions site

Temporal atmospheric temperature changes during summers at sub-Arctic sites often cause periodic fluctuations in shallow landfarm and surface soil temperatures. However, little information is available on the effect of site-relevant variations on biodegradation performance in cold climates. This study compares the rate and extents of biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons at variable site temperatures (1-10 °C) representative of summers at a sub-Arctic site reported previously with those obtained under a constant average temperature of 6 °C. The biodegradation was evaluated in pilot-scale landfarming experiments with field-aged petroleum-contaminated soils shipped from Resolution Island (61°30′N, 65°00′W), Nunavut, Canada. Under the variable site temperature conditions biodegradation rate constants of semi- (F2) and non-volatile (F3) hydrocarbon fractions were enhanced by over a factor of two during the 60-d experiment, compared to the constant temperature mode. The decrease in total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) under the variable site temperature mode was 55% compared to only 19% under the constant average temperature mode. The enhanced biodegradation is attributable to the non-linear acceleration of microbial activity between 4.7 and 10 °C and faster growth of indigenous hydrocarbon-degrading microbial populations. The first-order biodegradation rate constants of 0.018, 0.024 and 0.016 d⁻¹ for TPH, F2 and F3 fractions at the variable site temperature were in agreement with those determined by an on-site experiment at the same site.     

Influence of solar UV radiation on the nitrogen metabolism in needles of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.)

Needles of 20-year-old Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) saplings were studied in an ultraviolet (UV) exclusion field experiment (from 2000 to 2002) in northern Finland (67 °N). The chambers held filters that excluded both UV-B and UV-A, excluded UV-B only, transmitted all UV (control), or lacked filters (ambient). UV-B/UV-A exclusion decreased nitrate reductase (NR) activity of 1-year-old needles of Scots pines compared to the controls. The proportion of free amino acids varied in the range 1.08-1.94% of total proteins, and was significantly higher in needles of saplings grown under UV-B/UV-A exclusion compared to the controls or UV-B exclusion. NR activity correlated with air temperature, indicating a “chamber effect”. The study showed that both UV irradiance and increasing temperature are significant modulators of nitrogen (N) metabolism in Scots pine needles.     

煤的受热升温过程及厚度与粒度的影响

为了解煤在中等温度(150～400℃)下氧化的特点,对贫煤和褐煤进行了系列恒温加热.重点考察在超过加热温度后煤的升温速率,以分析其氧化放热反应的特点.不同条件实验中,贫煤的升温速率曲线都在相同的一些温度点附近出现峰值;褐煤也有相同的规律.这表明在特定温度附近氧化反应加强是由煤自身的特性决定的.另一方面煤样的厚度越小、粒度越大都使得升温速率数值增大,说明厚度小、粒度大有利于氧气的输运,而导致氧化反应加快.     

梁柱全焊接节点火灾响应特性分析

采用有限元法对梁柱全焊接节点在火灾下的热、结构响应进行模拟,分析了不同升温条件下全焊接节点的火灾行为,揭示了特定参数对全焊接节点的火灾响应特性,对比分析了全焊连接和栓焊连接节点的抗火性能。结果表明:具有不同升温速率的火灾曲线对全焊节点到达极限状态的时间有显著影响;全焊接节点加载的荷载比越大,节点到达极限状态的时间越短;带有加劲肋的全焊节点耐火时间略长于无加劲肋的节点;在相同升温条件下,全焊节点的耐火时间比栓焊节点的长,抗火临界温度略高于栓焊节点。可为钢结构全焊接节点的抗火设计提供技术参考。     

船舶封闭舱室火灾烟气温度特性研究

封闭舱室火灾与开放空间火灾有很大的不同。通过在内尺寸为1m×1m×0.75m的舱室内的一系列不同油盘直径庚烷油池火试验,发现了烟气的循环卷吸现象,且发现舱内气体可以分为上部的密烟气层和下部的稀烟气层两层,此时传统的双区域模型对火灾的模拟不再适用。烟气温度的空间分布可以用一个分段函数来表示,密烟气层内部温度基本一致,温度与高度无关;稀烟气层内部温度随高度具有均匀的梯度,为高度的一次函数。同时,研究发现熄火时刻舱内的烟气温度分布符合波尔兹曼分布律,且与油盘直径无关,即与火源功率无关,满足统一的波尔兹曼方程,并就本实验参数条件下的温度数据给出了拟合曲线方程。     

Weather-driven changes in population density determine wing dimorphism in a bush-cricket species

Long-winged (macropterous) individuals that are capable of flight in predominantly short-winged (flightless) species can considerably affect population dynamics and range expansion. Understanding the triggers that determine macropterism is crucial for understanding whether the dispersal ability of species allows them to shift their distributions through fragmented landscapes or in response to climate change. From 2002 to 2009, we studied population densities and wing dimorphism (macroptery) of Metrioptera roeselii, on 62 plots in central Germany. In the first step, we used a generalized linear mixed-effects model to assess the variables that influence macroptery. Macroptery rates are strongly positively correlated with bush-cricket abundance and not with vegetation structure and habitat moisture. Populations with macropters had significantly higher densities than those without. In the second step, we analysed the relationship between population densities and several mesoclimate/weather parameters. Densities were positively correlated with warm and dry weather conditions during hatching time in April, and previous year weather is less important than present year weather. In the light of the ongoing range expansion of M. roeselii in large parts of Europe, our results support the hypothesis that at high latitudes macropterism and range expansion are indirectly caused by weather-driven changes in population densities.     

Thermal gradient in the vicinity of Kwale/Okpai gas plant,Delta state,Nigeria: Preliminary observations

Environmental Pollution now persist in Nigeria especially the oil-rich regions of Delta State. One of these problems is due to gas flaring. Thermal gradient resulting from the gas flared at Kwale/Okpai gas plant is hereby reported. Surface temperature variations with distance from the flare point were investigated for the four cardinal directions. The results show a surface temperature elevation of about 3.7° C above the mean normal daily temperature within a radius of 270 M. Hence the thermal equilibrium has been altered. This increase in temperature has undesirable effect on man and his environment especially on the socio-economic lives and activities of the inhabitants. It is therefore necessary that Government Agencies empowered to monitor environment such as Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) should embark on adequate remediation activities in order to stop the environmental degradation before enormous and permanent damage is caused. Furthermore, the companies involved in the gas flaring should be made to be concerned with the danger they may be causing the inhabitants in particular and the populace in general.