Sedimentary humic substances in the northern Adriatic sea (Mediterranean sea)

Humic compounds were determined in sediments collected in an area of the Adriatic sea receiving fresh waters from the river Po. Sediment cores (10 cm) were sectioned into four layers which were analysed separately for redox potential (Eh), total phosphorus (TP), total organic carbon (TOC), humic (HA) and fulvic acid (FA) content. The structure of HA and FA was also investigated. The results showed that the TOC and TP content decreased from the coast to the open-sea stations. Humic and fulvic acid concentrations were also inversely correlated to the distance from the coast. Moreover, the humic and fulvic acids were closely correlated to the total organic content and to the total phosphorus content. The correlations found between humic substances (HS) and TOC and TP, respectively, could be explained both by an in situ formation due to the high content of nutrients and organic matter, and by a common source of HS, TOC and TP, namely the River Po discharge. The predominant presence of aliphatic carbon in the humic structures, the low degree of substitution and the high nitrogen content suggest that primarily humified compounds were formed in situ. Nevertheless, the River Po can act both as supplier of organic matter of which decomposition products lead to the formation of humic compound and as carrier of humified compounds.     

Increased plastic litter cover affects the foraging activity of the sandy intertidal gastropod Nassarius pullus

This study analyzed the foraging behavior of the gastropod Nassarius pullus on garbage-impacted sandy shores of Talim Bay, Batangas, Philippines. The effect of different levels of plastic garbage cover on foraging efficiency was investigated. Controlled in situ baiting experiments were conducted to quantify aspects of foraging behavior as affected by the levels of plastic litter cover in the foraging area. The results of the study indicated that the gastropod’s efficiency in locating and in moving towards a food item generally decreased as the level of plastic cover increased. Prolonged food searching time and increased self-burial in sand were highly correlated with increased plastic cover. The accuracy of orientation towards the actual position of the bait decreased significantly when the amount of plastic cover increased to 50%. These results are consistent with the significant decreases in the abundance of the gastropod observed during periods of deposition of large amounts of plastic and other debris on the shore.     

关于松辽盆地含铀性的初步分析

关于松辽盆地含铀性的初步分析Ｂ．Ｍ．捷连吉也夫Ｆ．Ｍ．绍尔（俄罗斯全俄地质研究所）松辽盆地有近２６万ｋｍ‘的面积，由大、小兴安岭和张广才岭围绕，是一个大型的油气盆地，其中堆积了中新生代的陆相沉积。该盆地具有形成外生后生铀矿化（其中包括砂岩型）的一定前...     

Influence of sample manipulation on contaminant flux and toxicity at the sediment-water interface

Toxicities of sediments from San Diego and San Francisco Bays were compared in laboratory experiments using sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) embryos exposed to pore water and at the sediment-water interface (SWI). Toxicity was consistently greater to embryos exposed at the SWI to intact (unhomogenized) sediment samples relative to homogenized samples. Measurement of selected trace metals indicated considerably greater fluxes of copper, zinc, and cadmium into overlying waters of intact sediment samples. Inhibition of sea urchin embryo development was generally greater in sediment pore waters relative to SWI exposures. Pore water toxicity may have been due to elevated unionized ammonia concentrations in some samples. The results indicate that invertebrate embryos are amenable to SWI exposures, a more ecologically relevant exposure system, and that sediment homogenization may create artifacts in laboratory toxicity experiments.     

Microscale characterization of dissolved organic matter production and uptake in marine microbial mat communities

Intertidal marine microbial mats exhibited biologically mediated uptake of low molecular weight dissolved organic matter (DOM), including D-glucose, acetate, and an L-amino acid mixture at trace concentrations. Uptake of all compounds occurred in darkness, but was frequently enhanced under natural illumination. The photosystem 2 inhibitor, 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethyl urea (DCMU) generally failed to inhibit light-stimulated DOM uptake. Occasionally, light plus DCMU-amended treatments led to uptake rates higher than light-incubated samples, possibly due to phototrophic bacteria present in subsurface anoxic layers. Uptake was similar with either 3H- or 14C-labeled substrates, indicating that recycling of labeled CO2 via photosynthetic fixation was not interfering with measurements of light-stimulated DOM uptake. Microautoradiographs showed a variety of pigmented and nonpigmented bacteria and, to a lesser extent, cyanobacteria and eucaryotic microalgae involved in light-mediated DOM uptake. Light-stimulated DOM uptake was often observed in bacteria associated with sheaths and mucilage surrounding filamentous cyanobacteria, revealing a close association of organisms taking up DOM with photoautotrophic members of the mat community. The capacity for dark- and light-mediated heterotrophy, coupled to efficient retention of fixed carbon in the mat community, may help optimize net production and accretion of mats, even in oligotrophic waters.     

高压变质作用与金矿化——以东西伯利亚,远东高压杂岩体为例

综合东西伯利亚和远东高压岩石杂岩体分布地区地质资料表明,上述地区多为地动力高度活化地块区,并具专属性特点,应用地质构造、物质组分－矿物学特征,详细地划分了７种类型高压变质岩石组合,并根据化学特性,划分了３种岩石化学类型,即辉长－玄武岩,橄长岩,橄榄岩（二辉橄榄岩）类型。此外,论述了取决于原岩基质组成的变质反应特征,其规模直接与原岩基质的组成,特别是与Ａｌ２Ｏ３,Ｎａ２Ｏ,ＳｉＯ２的组成密切相关,即     

Measurement system for systematic hydrological characterization of unsaturated fractured welded tuff in a mined underground tunnel

A field investigation of unsaturated flow through a lithophysal unit of fractured welded tuff containing lithophysal cavities has been initiated. To characterize flow in this spatially heterogeneous medium, a systematic approach has been developed to perform tests in boreholes drilled at regular intervals in an underground tunnel (drift). The purpose of the testing is to quantify the amounts of water seeping into the drift versus the amount of water moving around the drift when released into boreholes at many equidistant locations along the drift. In this paper, we describe the test equipment system that has been built for this purpose. Because the field-scale measurements--of liquid flow in the unsaturated, fractured rocks--require continuous testing for periods of days to weeks, the control of test equipment has been fully automated, allowing operation with no human presence at the field site. Preliminary results from the first set of tests indicate that, while the effects of evaporation on characterization of hydrological properties of the rock can be significant, these effects can be controlled and quantified. These tests give insight into the role of the cavities as potential storage during the initial transient flow prior to the breakthrough of water at the drift crown, as well as the role of connected fractures that provide the subsequent quasi-steady flow. In addition to the stated purpose of realizing the flow partitioning, the results yield values for the effective porosity in the pathways for liquid flow in the regions tested thus far.     

Static and push-pull methods using radon-222 to characterize dense nonaqueous phase liquid saturations

Naturally occurring radon in ground water can potentially be used as an in situ partitioning tracer to characterize dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) saturations. The static method involves comparing radon concentrations in water samples from DNAPL-contaminated and noncontaminated portions of an aquifer, while the push-pull method involves the injection (push) and extraction (pull) of a radon-free test solution from a single well. In the presence of DNAPL, radon concentrations during the pull phase are retarded, with retardation manifested in greater dispersion of radon concentrations relative to a conservative tracer. The utility of these methods was investigated in the laboratory using a physical aquifer model (PAM). Static and push-pull tests were performed before and after contamination of the PAM sediment pack with trichloroethene (TCE), and after alcohol cosolvent flushing and pump-and-treat remediation. Numerical simulations were used to estimate the retardation factor for radon in push-pull tests. Radon partitioning was observed in static and push-pull tests conducted after TCE contamination. Calculated TCE saturations ranged up to 1.4% (static test) and 14.1% (push-pull test). Post-remediation tests showed decreases in TCE saturations. The results show that radon is sensitive to changes in DNAPL saturation in space and time. However, the methods are sensitive to DNAPL saturation heterogeneity, test location, sample size, and test design. The influence of these factors on test results, as well as the apparent overestimation of the retardation factor in push-pull tests, warrant further investigation.