Can nuclear aquatic environmental DNA be a genetic marker for the accurate estimation of species abundance?

The Science of Nature - We present the first study that compares phenological variation in parasite load and inflammatory response in a lizard with asynchronous male and female gonadal cycles....     

Molecular taxonomy of vestimentiferans of the western Pacific and their phylogenetic relationship to species of the eastern Pacific

The nucleotide sequence of part (624 bp) of a mitochondrial gene for cytochrome oxidase I was determined for 46 escarpiid vestimentiferans collected from seven sites in the western Pacific and 49 individual specimens of Arcovestia ivanovi from two sites in the Manus Basin. Phylogenetic analysis, based on the newly obtained and previously reported sequences, indicated that escarpiids in the western Pacific can be divided into two tentative species, as we proposed in a previous report. While members of the first tentative species have been collected exclusively from a seep area at a depth of 300 m off the coast of central Japan, the members of the second species inhabit some sites at depths greater than 1,100 m, namely, seep areas in Japanese and Papua-New Guinean waters as well as hydrothermal vent fields in the Okinawa Trough and the Manus Basin. We detected no genetic structure among populations of the second tentative species. The first tentative species was more closely related to a species in the eastern Pacific, Escarpia spicata, and to a species in the Gulf of Mexico, Escarpia laminata, than to the second tentative species in the western Pacific. Sequences obtained from all arcovestiids were identical with the exception of those from three individuals, each of which included a single synonymous nucleotide substitution relative to the dominant haplotype, and no genetic differences were detected between specimens from the two sites in the Manus Basin.     

Initial ecological risk assessment of eight selected human pharmaceuticals in Japan.

Eight pharmaceuticals were selected on the basis of their domestic consumption in Japan, the excretion ratio of the parent compound and the frequency of detection in the aquatic environment or wastewater treatment plant effluent. Toxicity tests on these pharmaceuticals were conducted using Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes), daphnia (Daphnia magna), and green algae (Psuedokirchneriella subcapitata). Predicted no effect concentration (PNEC) was calculated using lethal or effect concentration 50 (LC50 or EC50) values and no effect concentration (NOEC) obtained in the toxicity tests for these compounds. Predicted environmental concentration (PEC) was also calculated from annual consumption, the excretion rate of the parent compound, and removal rate in the preliminary batch activated sludge treatment performed in this study. Maximum concentrations found in the aquatic environment or sewage effluent in Japan or foreign countries were also used for another calculation of PEC. Initial risk assessment on the selected pharmaceuticals was performed using the PEC/PNEC ratio. The results of initial risk assessment on the eight selected pharmaceuticals suggest neither urgent nor severe concern for the ecological risk of these compounds, but further study needs to be conducted using chronic toxicity tests, including reproduction inhibition and endocrine disruption assessments.     

Synthesis and biodegradation of poly(γ-butyrolactone-co-l-lactide)

Biodegradable polyesters were synthesized by ring-opening copolymerization of -butyrolactone (BL) and its derivatives withl-lactide (LLA). Although tetraphenyl tin was the main catalyst used, other organometallic catalysts were used as well.¹H and¹³C NMR spectra showed that poly(BL-co-LLA)s were statistical and that their number-average molecular weights were as high as 7×10⁴. The maximum BL content obtained from copolymerization BL/LLA was around 17%. TheT _m andT _g values of the copolymers showed a gradual depression with an increase in BL content. NoT _m was obtained for the copolymers containing more than 13 mol% BL. The biodegradability of the copolyesters was evaluated by enzymatic hydrolysis and nonenzymatic hydrolysis tests. The enzymatic hydrolysis was carried out at 37°C for 24 h using lipases fromRhizopus arrhizus andR. delemar. Hydrolyses by both lipases showed that an increase in BL content of the copolymer resulted in enhanced biodegradability. Nonenzymatic accelerated hydrolysis of copolymers at 70°C was found to increase proportionally to their exposure time. The hydrolysis rate of these copolymers was considerably faster than that of PLLA. The higher hydrolyzability was recorded for the BL-rich copolymers. The copolymerization of -methyl--butyrolactone (MBL) or -ethyl--butyrolactone (EBL) with LLA resulted in relatively LA-rich copolymers.     

摇动床生物膜反应器和活性污泥法组合技术处理高浓度有机废水的研究

利用摇动床生物膜反应器(简称摇动床)技术具有的容积负荷高与污泥产量低的优点,在普通活性污泥池的前部填充高性能丙烯酸树脂纤维(Biofringe)填料,研究了摇动床和活性污泥法组合技术处理高浓度有机废水的有效性。结果表明,该组合技术具有很强的有机物去除能力,当进水COD平均质量浓度由1500mg/L上升到2514mg/L时,出水COD的平均去除率基本保持在96%以上;整个运行阶段的出水COD浓度均满足《污水综合排放标准》(GB8978—1996)的二级标准;当进水NH4+-N浓度增加时,NH4+-N的去除率由99.7%降低到76.5%,但是在试验运行的整个阶段,摇动床和活性污泥法组合技术系统都表现出较强的硝化能力;活性污泥池中最高的混合液悬浮固体(MLSS)质量浓度为10625mg/L,最高MLSS约为普通活性污泥法的4倍;运行结束后的污泥产率为0.186,污泥产率仅为普通活性污泥法的50%左右。     

Preparation of Galactomannan-Based Materials Compatibilized with Ionic Liquids

This paper reports the preparation of galactomannan/ionic liquid composite materials from the corresponding ion gels. Three kinds of galactomannans, that is, fenugreek gum (FG), guar gum (GG), and locust bean gum (LBG) and an ionic liquid of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMIMCl) were used. When the galactomannan/BMIMCl gels were immersed in ethanol, followed by dryness under reduced pressure, the galactomannan/BMIMCl composite materials were obtained. The crystalline structures of galactomannans in the materials were evaluated by the powder X-ray diffraction measurement. The mechanical property of the FG/BMIMCl composite material under compressive mode was superior compared with the GG and LBG/BMIMCl composite materials. Then, FG films compatibilized with polymeric ionic liquids (PILs) were also prepared by in situ radical polymerization of polymerizable ionic liquids, 1-(3-acryloyloxypropyl)-3-vinylimidazolium bromide and 1-methyl-3-vinylbenzylimidazolium chloride by AIBN in mixtures of FG with BMIMCl. The mechanical properties of the resulting films were affected by the FG/PIL ratios as well as the unit ratios in PILs.     

Chemical states of arsenic contained in sewage sludge incineration ash and insolubilized material

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - The chemical states of arsenic contained in 4 kinds of sewage sludge incineration ash and insolubilized materials are analyzed using a leaching...     

Why do municipalities accept disaster waste? Evidence from the great east Japan earthquake

Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - Municipalities’ cooperation is critical for successful policy interventions for disaster recovery. Using a spatial econometric model, we...     

Supercritical water gasification of sewage sludge using bench-scale batch reactor: advantages and drawbacks

Sewage sludge, a byproduct of municipal wastewater treatment, was gasified by supercritical water using a bench-scale batch reactor. Configuration of bench-scale batch reactor and operation procedures are discussed in detail. Experience and challenges that arose during the experiment are also shared. Using the bench-scale reactor under the condition of 600 °C, 23 MPa, and a reaction time of 60 min without catalyst presence, a total gas yield of 9.8 mol/(kg-sewage sludge) was obtained. Furthermore, investigations on operational parameters were conducted. Extension of reaction time up to 60 min increased the gasification, reaching a plateau thereafter. Investigation on pressure indicated the superiority of supercritical pressure. The addition of Ni as a catalyst also promoted gasification, although inorganic salts and char seemed to cover the catalyst surface. With regard to the prospect of future operation at a municipal waste water treatment plant, the effect of operational parameters on heavy metal concentration in the liquid phase is also discussed.