Soil and preen waxes influence the expression of carotenoid-based plumage coloration

The signaling function of carotenoid-based plumage is mainly determined by the concentration of pigments in feathers. For this reason, most studies of the proximate control of coloration focus on processes during and preceding moult. In great tits Parus major, past research demonstrates that carotenoid-based plumage coloration honestly indicates male quality and, thus, may be a sexually selected signal. In this study, we investigate how dirt and preen oil influence the coloration of carotenoid-based feathers in the great tit. We collected six feathers from each individual bird; three feathers served as controls while the remaining three feathers were washed with a chloroform/methanol mixture to remove soil and preen waxes. We assessed plumage coloration using digital photography. This cleaning procedure slightly enhanced ornamentation; the experimentally cleaned feathers expressed hues shifted towards shorter wavelengths and expressed brighter overall coloration than control feathers. This is the first experimental study conducted on wild birds demonstrating that, in addition to pigment concentration, the presence of preen waxes and soils on feathers may contribute to variation in coloration.     

Mercury Air Emission from Coal-Fired Public Power Sector: Uncertainty and Its Monthly Distribution. Case Study from Poland

The paper presents two aspects concerned with the mercury air emission inventory from coal-fired public power and energy plants: an uncertainty analysis, using Monte Carlo simulation (Journal of the American Statistical Association, 44(247), 335–341 1949) and the monthly distributions applying the Denton-Cholette approach (Dagum & Cholette 2006). The analysis determines uncertainty about the estimates mercury air emission from 1990 to 2012 including the development of air pollution control (APC) technologies in the Polish public power and energy sector, also the monthly distributions in comparison with previously obtained results (H?awiczka 2008). The uncertainty of mercury (Hg) content in fuel is 31.6% for hard coal and 42.4% for brown coal. The confidence interval for the estimated emission changed from [kg] (16,082.2; 16,242.2) in 1990 to (10,525.9;10,671.1) in 2012. However, the Denton-Cholette approach overestimates the emissions for the warmer periods of the year, but it could, however, in our view, be applied to attain the monthly distributions.     

Anaerobic co-digestion of swine and poultry manure with municipal sewage sludge

The anaerobic digestion of municipal sewage sludge (SS) with swine manure (SM) and poultry manure (PM) was undertaken. It was found that a mixture of sewage sludge with a 30% addition of swine manure gave around 400 dm³/kgVS of biogas, whereas the maximal biogas yield from ternary mixture (SS:SM:PM = 70:20:10 by weight) was only 336 dm³/kgVS. An inhibition of methanogenesis by free ammonia was observed in poultry manure experiments. The anaerobic digestion was inefficient in pathogen inactivation as the reduction in the number of E. coli an Enterobacteriaceae was only by one logarithmic unit. A substantial portion of pathogens was also released into the supernatant.     

Effect of humification processes on polyaromatic hydrocarbons concentration during wastewater treatment.

The aim of the present work was to compare the concentration changes of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and the course of humification processes during wastewater treatment. Studies of samples from a biological-mechanical wastewater treatment plant in Sosnowiec-Zagórze (Poland) were carried out. Determination of PAH was performed both for wastewater sludge and sludge water. Observations of the course of humification processes for humic acid fractions isolated from sludges were conducted. Analysis of PAH extracted from wastewaters and from sludge was performed by means of high-performance liquid chromatography. Investigations of humification processes were conducted by electron paramagnetic resonance and nuclear magnetic resonance methods. The elementary composition changes in the structure of the extracted humic acids were determined. It was found that polyaromatic hydrocarbons appear during the processes of humification. Their content in water decreased only after the process of sludge aeration; however, sludge water leaving the settlers was PAH-enriched.     

Removal of petroleum pollutants and monitoring of bacterial community structure in a membrane bioreactor

The long-term operational stability (159 d) in removal of organics and ammonia from synthetic wastewater was investigated. The experiment was carried out in two identical plug flow membrane bioreactors (MBR) (each with a submerged A4 Kubota membrane) operated under aerobic conditions. The vacuum distillate of a crude oil fraction in the emulsified state, which was used to model the petroleum pollutants, was added into the feed medium. The performance of biological treatment was evaluated by physicochemical analyses such as nitrogen forms, COD, and BOD. Additionally, monitoring of PAHs in the wastewaters was performed using HPLC-diode array detector. Moreover, the community structure of bacteria was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. The MBR treatment was very effective with reduction by more than 90% of COD and Total Organic Carbon. Nearly complete removal of petroleum originated non-polar micropollutants was observed. The influence of the highest dosage of petroleum pollutants (1000 μLL(-1)) on the bacterial community was noted.     

Vehicle Hydrocarbons’ Emission Characteristics Determined Using the Monte Carlo Method

Environmental Modeling & Assessment - Hydrocarbons (HCs) are products of incomplete combustion process which can occur during operation of the internal combustion engines (Flagan and Seinfeld...     

Differential shell strength of Cepaea nemoralis colour morphs—implications for their anti-predator defence

The Science of Nature - One of the most spectacular evolutionary forces is predation, evidenced to stimulate polymorphism in many prey species. Shell colour polymorphism of the land snail Cepaea...     

Shell colour,temperature, (micro)habitat structure and predator pressure affect the behaviour of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cepaea nemoralis</Emphasis>

Although shell colour polymorphism of the land snail Cepaea nemoralis is a well-known phenomenon, proximate and ultimate factors driving its evolution remain uncertain. Polymorphic species show variation in behavioural responses to selective forces. Therefore, we estimated effects of various environmental factors (temperature, humidity, food availability, (micro)habitat structure and predatory pressure) on behavioural response (frequency of locomotion, climbing and hiding) of C. nemoralis morphs, in experimental and natural conditions. In the experimental part of study, the frequency of locomotion was negatively affected by temperature and the presence of food and positively influenced by the presence of light. Morphs significantly differed in behavioural responses to environmental variability. Pink mid-banded and yellow five-banded morphs climbed less often and hide in shelter more often than yellow and pink unbanded individuals when temperature was low and food was absent. Snails fed most often at moderate temperature compared to low and high temperatures. Field investigations partially confirmed differences among morphs in frequency of climbing, but not in terms of probability of hiding in sheltered sites. In natural colonies, temperature and (micro)habitat structure significantly affected frequency of climbing as well as hiding in shelter. Snails more often hid in sheltered sites where thrushes preyed on Cepaea. Tendency of unbanded morphs to climb trees may have evolved under avian predatory pressure as thrushes forage on a ground. Tendency of banded morphs to hide in sheltered sites may reflect prey preferences for cryptic background. The results implicate that differential behaviour of C. nemoralis morphs compensate for their morphological and physiological limitations of adaptation to habitat.