Assessing the suitability of OSPAR EcoQOs for eutrophication vs ICES criteria for England and Wales

This paper provides a preliminary evaluation of the suitability of OSPAR Ecological Quality objectives for eutrophication for coastal and offshore waters of England and Wales on the basis of ICES criteria. In principle, EcoQOs are easy to understand, but responses to nutrient enrichment are complex. Few studies provide unequivocal evidence of links between inputs and response. Monitoring is generally feasible and in place, but needs to be improved. The best EcoQO is winter nutrient concentrations. Chlorophyll concentrations are a good indicator in environments susceptible to nutrient enrichment. The EcoQO for zoobenthos/fish kills potentially meets all criteria for a good indicator; EcoQOs for phytoplankton indicator species, oxygen concentrations and zoobenthos changes do not. Greater emphasis needs to be placed on seasonal effects of nutrient inputs and phytoplankton response, natural susceptibility of different water bodies, differences between coastal and offshore environments, and developing longer time series of data.     

Measurement of Charge Exchange and X-Ray Emission Cross Sections for Solar Wind-Comet Interactions

X-ray emission from a comet was observed for the first time in 1996. One of the mechanisms believed to be contributing to this surprisingly strong emission is the interaction of highly charged solar wind ions with cometary gases. Reported herein are total absolute charge-exchange and normalized line-emission (X-ray) cross sections for collisions of high-charge state (+3 to +10) C, N, O, and Ne ions with the cometary species H2O and CO2. It is found that in several cases the double charge-exchange cross sections can be large, and in the case of C3+ they are equal to those for single charge exchange. Present results are compared to cross section values used in recent comet models. The importance of applying accurate cross sections, including double charge exchange, to obtain absolute line-emission intensities is emphasized.     

Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in riverine and estuarine sediments of the Pearl River Delta in southern China, with emphasis on spatial variability in diastereoisomer- and enantiomer-specific distribution of HBCD

Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) were measured in surface sediments in the Pearl River Delta, southern China. The concentrations ranged from 0.06 to 304 ng/g dry weight for TBBPA and from 0.03 to 31.6 ng/g for total HBCD. The correlations between the TBBPA and HBCD concentrations were significant in rivers (Dongjiang, Zhujiang, Beijiang, and Dayanhe Rivers) with local input sources but not significant in the Xijiang River and Pearl River Estuary without local sources. HBCD was dominated by γ-HBCD (averaged 52.5-75.0%), whereas α-HBCD contributions were relatively high in sediments from the urban areas. The enantiomeric fractions of γ-HBCD in the sediments (averaged from 0.431 ± 0.035 to 0.479 ± 0.010) differed significantly from that in HBCD technical product except for samples from the e-waste area (Dayanhe River, 0.488 ± 0.091). This suggests that enantioselective biotransformation of HBCD occurs in the aquatic environment in this region.     

江西盛源火山盆地构造对铀成矿的控制

江西盛源火山盆地铀矿地质找矿工作以往更多关注早白垩世打鼓顶组和鹅湖岭组的含矿性以及早寒武世外管坑组矿源层等问题,忽视了构造对铀成矿的控制作用。文章在收集和整理前人研究成果的基础上,结合近些年来该区铀矿地质调查工作取得的最新成果,探讨构造对该区铀成矿的控制作用,并总结铀成矿规律。不同时期、级别、性质和序次的断裂组成控矿构造系统; 萍乡—广丰深断裂带控制武功山—铅山铀成矿带呈近EW向展布,较大规模的“构造结”决定铀矿田的产出位置,低级别的EW向、NE向和NW向断裂控制铀矿体的定位。     

北部湾盆地涠西南凹陷古近系流二段滩坝沉积特征及控制因素

滩坝是含油气盆地重要的油气储集体,对其展开研究可为盆地油气勘探和靶区优选提供指导。北部湾盆地涠西南凹陷流二段滩坝砂体富集,然而前人对其内部构型和控制要素研究较为薄弱,油气富集规律不清楚。利用三维地震、录井、测井和重矿物资料,对涠西南凹陷流二段滩坝砂体的沉积特征、内部构型和控制因素展开了细致分析,结果显示:滩坝砂体物源来自于南部企西隆起的正向鼻状构造和西边顺着3号断裂形成的扇三角洲,以粉砂岩和细砂岩沉积为主,结构成熟度高,表明滩坝砂体的形成经过了反复淘洗和搬运。利用高频层序划分,将滩坝沉积划分为5个期次,5期砂体在垂向上呈现出退积的叠置关系,其平面展布范围受控于水动力强度和物源方向。涠西南凹陷流二段滩坝沉积发育的控制因素主要包括:(1)较缓的古坡度和相对较弱的构造活动;(2)水体较浅且水动力较强;(3)湖平面的高频震荡;(4)点物源(扇三角洲)和线物源(鼻状构造)同时供源。储层物性对比分析显示第五期砂体和第三期砂体的物性最好,勘探潜力最大,其次为第四期砂体和第二期砂体,第一期砂体物性最差。     

福建沿海动力变质带南段变质侵入岩岩石成分迁移规律的研究

通过1：25万厦门市、东山县幅区域地质调查．在福建沿海动力变质带南段中同种原岩不同变形强度的动力变质岩进行了岩石化学分析,揭示了晚侏罗世侵入岩在动力变质过程中,从未变形岩石到糜棱岩化岩石、初糜棱岩、糜棱岩、超糜棱岩的变化过程中岩石化学成分的变化规律。该研究为动力变质岩的原岩恢复提供了依据,并为岩石韧性变形过程中岩石化学成分迁移这一理论研究提供了资料。     

Geochemical tracers to evaluate hydrogeologic controls on river salinization

The salinization of rivers, as indicated by salinity increases in the downstream direction, is characteristic of arid and semiarid regions throughout the world. Historically, salinity increases have been attributed to various mechanisms, including (1) evaporation and concentration during reservoir storage, irrigation, and subsequent reuse; (2) displacement of shallow saline ground water during irrigation; (3) erosion and dissolution of natural deposits; and/or (4) inflow of deep saline and/or geothermal ground water (ground water with elevated water temperature). In this study, investigation of salinity issues focused on identification of relative salinity contributions from anthropogenic and natural sources in the Lower Rio Grande in the New Mexico-Texas border region. Based on the conceptual model of the system, the various sources of water and, therefore, salinity to the Lower Rio Grande were identified, and a sampling plan was designed to characterize these sources. Analysis results for boron (delta(11)B), sulfur (delta(34)S), oxygen (delta(18)O), hydrogen (delta(2)H), and strontium ((87)Sr/(86)Sr) isotopes, as well as basic chemical data, confirmed the hypothesis that the dominant salinity contributions are from deep ground water inflow to the Rio Grande. The stable isotopic ratios identified the deep ground water inflow as distinctive, with characteristic isotopic signatures. These analyses indicate that it is not possible to reproduce the observed salinization by evapotranspiration and agricultural processes alone. This investigation further confirms that proper application of multiple isotopic and geochemical tracers can be used to identify and constrain multiple sources of solutes in complex river systems.     

PAHs contamination and bacterial communities in mangrove surface sediments of the Jiulong River Estuary, China

Sixteen sediment samples collected from eight transects in a mangrove swamp of the Jiulong River Estuary, Fujian, China were investigated for their content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the biodegradation potential of the indigenous microorganisms. The bacterial community structures in the mangrove sediments and in enrichment cultures were also investigated. The results showed that the total PAHs concentration of mangrove sediments ranged from 280 to 1074 ng g(-1) dry weight, that the PAHs composition pattern in the mangrove sediments was dominated by high molecular weight PAH components (4-6 rings), and that Benzo[ghi]perylene and Indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene were the most dominant at different stations. Abundant PAH-degrading bacteria were found in all the stations, the values of phenanthrene-degrading bacteria ranged from 5.85 x 10(4) to 7.80 x 10(5) CFU g(-1) dry weight, fluoranthene-degrading bacteria ranged from 5.25 x 10(4) to 5.79 x 10(5) CFU g(-1) dry weight, pyrene-degrading bacteria ranged from 3.10 x 10(4) to 6.97 x 10(5) CFU g(-1) dry weight and the benzo(a)pyrene-degrading bacteria ranged from 5.25 x 10(4) to 7.26 x 10(5) CFU g(-1) dry weight. DGGE analysis of PCR-amplified 16S rDNA gene fragments confirmed that there was a remarkable shift in the composition of the bacterial community due to the addition of the different model PAH compound phenanthrene (three ring PAH), fluoranthene(four ring PAH), pyrene(four ring PAH) and benzo(a)pyrene(five ring PAH) during enrichment batch culture. Eleven strains were obtained with different morphology and different degradation ability. The presence of common bands for microbial species in the cultures and in the native mangrove sediment DNA indicated that these strains could be potential in situ PAH-degraders.     

Toxicogenomic analysis of immune system-related genes in Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) exposed to heavy oil

Heavy oil contamination is one of the most important environmental issues. Toxicities of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including immune toxicities, are well characterized, however, the immune toxic effects of heavy oil, as a complex mixture of PAHs, have not been investigated. In the present study, we selected Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) as a model organism, and observed alteration of immune function by the exposure to heavy oil. To analyze the expression profiles of immune system-related genes, we selected 309 cDNAs from our flounder EST library, and spotted them on a glass slide. Using this cDNA array, alteration of gene expression profiles was analyzed in the kidneys of flounders exposed to heavy oil. Six Japanese flounders (mean body weight: 197 g) were acclimated to laboratory conditions at 19-20 degrees C. Three fish were exposed to heavy oil C (bunker C) at a concentration of 3.8 g/L for 3 days, and the others were kept in seawater without heavy oil and used as the control. After the exposure period, the fish were transferred into control seawater and maintained for 4 days, and then they were dissected and their kidneys were removed. Total RNA was extracted from the kidney samples to use in gene expression analyses. The microarray detected alteration of immune system-related genes in the kidneys of heavy oil-exposed flounders, including down-regulation of immunoglobulin light chain, CD45, major histocompatibility complex class II antigens and macrophage colony-stimulating factor precursor, and up-regulation of interleukin-8 and lysozyme. These results suggest that pathogen resistance may be weakened in heavy oil-exposed fish, causing a subsequent bacterial infection, and then proinflammatory genes may be induced as a defensive response against the infection. Additionally, we found candidate genes for use as biomarkers of heavy oil exposure, such as N-myc downstream regulated gene 1 and heat shock cognate 71 kDa proteins.