The effect of cr(iii) on the form and degradability of a polysaccharide produced by a bacterium isolated from a marine sediment

Polysaccharide was produced from a coryneformn bacterium isolated from sediment. The presence of Cr was shown to affect both the form and the yield of polysaccharide obtained from the bacterium. The binding of Cr to the polysaccharide decreased the rate at which sediment bacteria could degrade it.     

Bioenhancement of cadmium transfer along a multi-level food chain

Previous studies have shown that metal partitioned to a subcellular compartment containing trophically available metal (TAM) is readily available to predators and may be enhanced by increased binding of metal to heat-stable proteins (HSP - e.g., metallothioneins). The aim of the current investigation was to determine the influence of TAM on the trophic transfer of Cd along an experimental, three-level food chain: Artemia franciscana (brine shrimp)-->Palaemonetes pugio (grass shrimp)-->Fundulus heteroclitus (mummichog). P. pugio were fed for 7 days on A. franciscana exposed to Cd in solution (including (109)Cd as radiotracer) and subjected to subcellular fractionation or fed to F. heteroclitus. An HSP-driven increase in the percentage of Cd associated with TAM (TAM-Cd%) in A. franciscana exposed to 1 muM Cd resulted in a bioenhancement (i.e., a greater than linear increase with respect to A. franciscana exposure) of Cd trophic transfer to P. pugio. Increased dietary Cd exposure did not affect TAM-Cd% in P. pugio nor trophic transfer to F. heteroclitus.     

Organic contaminant distributions in sediments, polychaetes (Nereis virens) and American lobster (Homarus americanus) from a laboratory food chain experiment.

A laboratory experiment was conducted to investigate the transfer of organic contaminants from an environmentally contaminated marine sediment through a simple marine food chain. The infaunal polychaete, Nereis virens, was exposed to contaminated sediment collected from the Passaic River, NJ, USA, for 70 days. These polychaetes were then fed to the American lobster, Homarus americanus, for up to 112 days. Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), 2,4,6,8-tetrachlorodibenzothiophene (TCDT), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and several chlorinated pesticides were accumulated by polychaetes following exposure to the contaminated sediment. Some of these contaminants were also accumulated by lobsters which were exposed to the contaminated sediment and/or fed contaminated polychaetes. Only the lesser chlorinated PCDDs and PCDFs (mostly tetra- and pentachlorinated congeners) and 2,4,6,8-TCDT were detected in the polychaetes and lobster. Significant alterations were noted in the PCB patterns found in both species, particularly the lobster. The non-ortho-substituted PCBs (such as congeners 77 and 126) became enriched in the PCB mixtures of the polychaetes and especially the lobsters relative to the sediment, probably because these congeners were not metabolized. These congeners and the 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin toxicity equivalents of the PCB mixtures were enriched by a factor of about six in the lobsters relative to the sediment. Elimination of PCB congeners containing vicinal hydrogens in the meta-para region is consistent with cytochrome P450IIB-type metabolism. Based on the concentration trends for some PCB congeners and chlorinated pesticide ratios measured in the lobsters during this experiment, it appears that this metabolic system is inducible in the American lobster.     

Seston available as a food resource for the ribbed mussel (Geukensia demissa) in a North American,mid-Atlantic saltmarsh

We studied the composition of the <25 μm seston size fraction as a food resource potentially available to suspension feeding ribbed mussels, Geukensia demissa, over an annual cycle in Canary Creek saltmarsh, Delaware Bay. There were significant seasonal variations in the concentration of particulate organic carbon (POC), particulate organic nitrogen (PON), and total carbohydrate, but not cellulose. The concentration of cellulose, measured by hydrolytic cellulase enzyme assay, was relatively low (seasonal range 24 to 35 μg l⁻¹) and only comprised from 3% of total carbohydrate in May 1996 to 13% in November 1995. We used the biomass of microalgae, estimated from chlorophyll a, and abundance of free-living bacteria and heterotrophic nanoflagellates to calculate each component's equivalent carbon content. Microalgae were the most dominant carbon source (62% annually) among the four identified components (phytoplankton, bacteria, heterotrophic nanoflagellates, and cellulose) in all seasons except in August 1995 when carbon from bacteria was most abundant (55%). The annual average carbon equivalents of heterotrophic nanoflagellates and cellulose were relatively small (2 and 4%, respectively). The total concentration of POC in the seston was much greater than the carbon derived from the four identified components. The proportions that these identified components contributed to POC varied seasonally and combined only accounted for 8–24% of POC. Based on these estimates, the bulk of the POC in Canary Creek marsh was not associated with any of the four components we identified. We suggest that this uncharacterized material was some type of non-lignocellulosic, amorphous detritus of unknown utility as a food resource for ribbed mussels.     

甲壳素对Cr(Ⅵ)的吸附研究

采用正交实验法 ,使用甲壳素 (粗制壳聚糖 ) ,研究温度、时间、吸附剂用量、酸度、盐效应对甲壳素吸附水中溶解的 Cr( )离子的吸附过程的影响 ,将实验结果进行极差分析 ,得到较优的吸附条件。实验结果表明 :在 p H =2、30℃、离子强度 5 mmol/ L的条件下 ,甲壳素对 Cr( )的最大吸附量为 13.1mg/ g。根据化学平衡及红外光谱分析结果表明 :甲壳素对 Cr( )的吸附主要是游离氨基静电吸附 Cr2 O2 -7,吸附符合 L angmuir吸附等温式     

Mapping subtidal estuarine habitats with a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV)

Subtidal habitats have not yet been accounted for in habitat maps of South African estuaries. In this study, a novel method for mapping subtidal estuarine habitats, using a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) piloted from a boat, was developed and tested in the Knysna Estuary. Video footage was recorded along 48 transects across the width of the estuary, and then reviewed to identify, classify and map habitats. Using the method developed in this study, 21 hours of footage was recorded over 15 days of sampling, and about 30 hours of post-processing was carried out to map an area exceeding 850 ha. This study has produced the first baseline dataset of subtidal habitats for a South African estuary. Additionally, the study revealed the previously unknown distribution of the invasive red seaweed Asparagopsis taxiformis, and the underestimation in previous studies of the estuary of area cover of eelgrass Zostera capensis by 130 ha.     

大叶藻碎屑作为刺参食物来源的实验研究

采用室内模拟实验方法研究了刺参(Apostichopus japonicus Selenka)与大叶藻(Zostera marina L.)碎屑之间的营养关系, 将大叶藻碎屑与泥质沉积物按照一定的配比作为饵料投喂刺参, 测定刺参的特定生长率和排粪率。按照添加大叶藻碎屑比例的不同, 实验分为5 个处理组, 分别为ES0、ES10、ES20、ES40 和ES100, 大叶藻碎屑含量分别为0%, 10%, 20%, 40%和100%。结果表明, 饵料组成显著影响刺参的生长, 大叶藻碎屑与泥质沉积物混合物中的有机质含量为17%～20%, 水温为13～17℃, 刺参的生长效果较好, 最大特定生长率为1.54%/d, 最大排粪率为1.31g/(个· d)。海草床为刺参提供栖息地的同时, 大叶藻脱落腐败后的有机碎屑可以为刺参提供重要的食物来源, 这对于刺参的资源恢复和营养生态学方面的研究有着重要的意义。     

细菌源3-羟基脂肪酸作为环境变化代用指标的研究进展

细菌源3-羟基脂肪酸(C10-C18)作为环境变化指示指标具有良好的应用前景,但相关研究还很不系统,在海洋环境中的应用刚刚起步.3-羟基脂肪酸主要用于环境中pH和温度的重建,通过其支链比(异构和反异构3-羟基脂肪酸之和/正构3-羟基脂肪酸之和)与pH的显著正相关关系反演环境中的pH,通过其C15和C17同系物的反异构/...     

Availability of cadmium and zinc from sewage sludge to the flounder, Platichthys flesus, via a marine food chain

This paper examines the potential availability to a demersal fish of cadmium and zinc associated with digested sewage sludge, via a food chain as well as directly from the sludge, and the tissue distribution and possible excretion of any accumulated cadmium and zinc. Radioactive tracer techniques were used in order to follow the food chain transfer of the metals. Flounder (Platichthys flesus) accumulated cadmium both directly from sludge (delivered in newly ingested unassimilated gutfuls in the amphipods) and in assimilated form from the tissues of the amphipod crustacean Corophium volutator that had been feeding on a sludge-sediment mixture. Cadmium from both sources could be excreted by the fish. The concentration of cadmium within the whole fish increased as the input of cadmium in the diet increased. Zinc, similarly, is available to the flounder both directly from sludge and from zinc accumulated in C. volutator. Only a limited increase in net accumulation of zinc by the flounder was observed upon increased inputs of zinc through the diet, perhaps indicating some regulation of body zinc concentration by the flounder.     

Adsorption Behavior of Cr(VI) on Al-Fe Cointercalated Bentonite

An efficient Al-Fe cointercalated bentonite composite material (Al-Fe/Bent) which is capable of removing hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] from aqueous solutions was prepared. The batch experiment studies were conducted to evaluate the adsorption performance of Cr(VI) contained in aqueous solution. The XRD results showed the spacing of layers of bentonite was increased due to the aluminum and iron polycation intercalated into the layer of bentonite. The removal rate of Cr(VI) from the aqueous solution could be up 87.4% under the condition of the dosage of Al-Fe/Bent 8 g/L, pH 4, and a contact time of 60 min. The equilibrium data fitted well to the Freundlich model. The adsorption process could be well described by the pseudosecond order kinetic model.     

Feeding of Aurelia sp. (Scyphozoa) and links to the microbial food web

The impact of the scyphomedusa Aurelia sp. on planktonic assemblages was experimentally studied in enclosures incubated in situ in the sea lake of Mljet Island (Big Lake, Southern Adriatic), where jellyfish are present throughout the year. In situ feeding experiments using plankton at natural densities indicated a reduction in abundance for small calanoid and cyclopoid copepods, copepodites, nauplii and ciliates in the presence of Aurelia sp. In addition to direct predatory pressure, Aurelia sp. exerted an indirect cascading effect on autotrophic and heterotrophic microbial plankton. Phytoplankton biomass increases of up to 0.5 μg C·l^?1·h^?1 were mainly related to 19′‐hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin‐ and 19′‐butanoyloxyfucoxanthin‐containing phytoplankton. Bacterial production was about twice as high in the presence of Aurelia sp. and biomass was also consistently higher. It appears that the top‐down effect of predation along with material release by Aurelia sp. results in increases in microbial biomass and production.     

Microbial processes of carbon cycle as the base of food chain of Håkon Mosby Mud Volcano benthic community

Box and gravity cores recovered from the Håkon Mosby mud volcano (HMMV) during cruise 15 of the R/V Professor Logachev were analyzed for bacterial activity and benthic fauna distribution. The high bacterium number (up to 9.6×10⁹ cells cm^-3 of the sediment) and marked rates of sulfate reduction (up to 0.155?mg?S?dm^-3?day^-1) and methane oxidation (up to 9.9?μg?C?dm^-3?day^-1) were shown for the upper horizons of the sediments of the HMMV peripheral zone. The benthic community is characterized by the presence of two pogonophoran species, Oligobrachia sp. and Sclerolinum sp., harboring symbiotic methanotrophic bacteria.     

Gastric lavage as a non-lethal method for stingray (Myliobatiformes) diet sampling

Understanding the trophic interactions of ecologically important mesopredators such as Myliobatiformes (stingrays) is vital, but, given their susceptibility to overexploitation, the collection of stomach contents for dietary analysis necessitates the use of non-lethal methods. We provide a detailed method of using gastric lavage to collect stomach contents from the ‘Vulnerable’ porcupine ray Urogymnus asperrimus at the St Joseph Atoll of the Amirantes Group, Seychelles. Rays were captured by hand, inverted and restrained while a plastic hose, connected to a bilge pump, was inserted into the stomach to flush out the contents. A high percentage (94.5%) of gastric lavage attempts resulted in the collection of stomach contents. There was no visual evidence of stress or short-term, post-release mortality and, given the success and relative ease of this technique, we conclude that the described method of gastric lavage is an effective, non-lethal means of obtaining stomach contents from stingrays.     

Avoidance Reaction of Penaeus Chinensis to Heavy Metals (Pb, Cr,Zn) and Heavy Metal Mixtures (Pb-Cr, Pb-Zn)

Study on the avoidance response of Penaeus chinensis to heavy metals (Pb, Cr, Zn) and heavy metal mixtures (Pb-Cr, Pb-Zn) is carred out using a Y-model avoidance apparatus. The concentrations calculated to induce 50% avoidance rate byPenaeus chinensis are 11.4, 33.2 and 238. 1 mg/L for Pb, Cr and Zn, respectively. Mixtures of Pb-Cr and Pb-Zn produce additive effect in the avoidance test using Penaeus chinesis. But when the mixed Pb-Zn solution has 0.5 toxic unit Pb and 0.5 toxic unit Zn, the mixture seems to have synergistic effect.     

Availability of cadmium and zinc from sewage sludge to the flounder, Platichthys flesus, via a marine food chain

This paper examines the potential availability to a demersal fish of cadmium and zinc associated with digested sewage sludge, via a food chain as well as directly from the sludge, and the tissue distribution and possible excretion of any accumulated cadmium and zinc. Radioactive tracer techniques were used in order to follow the food chain transfer of the metals. Flounder (Platichthys flesus) accumulated cadmium both directly from sludge (delivered in newly ingested unassimilated gutfuls in the amphipods) and in assimilated form from the tissues of the amphipod crustacean Corophium volutator that had been feeding on a sludge–sediment mixture. Cadmium from both sources could be excreted by the fish. The concentration of cadmium within the whole fish increased as the input of cadmium in the diet increased. Zinc, similarly, is available to the flounder both directly from sludge and from zinc accumulated in C. volutator. Only a limited increase in net accumulation of zinc by the flounder was observed upon increased inputs of zinc through the diet, perhaps indicating some regulation of body zinc concentration by the flounder.     

Study of a jet-propulsion method for an underwater vehicle

This paper investigates a novel jet-propulsion method for a submerged vehicle. The approach is based on flexible-tube, eccentric rotor, Downingtown-Huber type pumps. Equations of motion are derived for a craft driven by such pumps. In order to develop general insight into the overall dynamics of the system, simulations are carried out for the simple case of horizontal straight-line motion. Results are obtained for the vehicle velocity, distance traveled, pump speed, and energy consumption. Effect of drag forces on the operation of the craft is studied. Finally, the jet-propulsion system is compared with conventional screw-type propulsors via simulation.