Offshore experiments on styrene spillage in marine waters for risk assessment

Within the context of risk evaluation of chemical spillages into the marine environment, this paper reports on an offshore experiment to study the behaviour of styrene spilled into sea under natural conditions and discusses theoretical approaches. Floating structures were used to enclose the spillage and the gaseous cloud formation, and dissolution processes were in situ monitored. The identification of spill risks for man and marine environment through GESAMP's hazard profile is described for styrene: Styrene is rated as a chemical with a significant health hazard that will float but also evaporate. However, monitoring of the water column in the experiments showed that the concentration of styrene in water during the first hour represents 50% of the product spilled. For the potentially exposed public, the GESAMP hazard rating recommends the closure of beaches and evacuation. The risk assessment developed from experimental data confirms this safety advice.     

Effect of zinc sacrificial anode degradation on the defence system of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas: Chronic and acute exposures

Two types of exposures were performed to assess the effects of zinc released from sacrificial anode degradation: a chronic exposure, in which oysters were exposed to 0.53±0.04mgZnL(-1) for 10weeks, and an acute exposure, where oysters were exposed to 10.2±1.2mgZnL(-1) for 1week. At the end of the acute exposure experiment, 81.8% mortality was recorded. In contrast, no mortality was detected after 10weeks exposure. Moreover, all of the immune system biomarkers studied, except the number of circulating haemocytes, were stimulated by a moderate level of zinc and inhibited by a high level. Our exposure conditions did not induce SOD or MXR mRNA expression in gills and digestive gland. However, an increase of MT mRNA is observed in these tissues. The results indicate that oysters are sensitive to acute zinc toxicity but are only moderately affected by a mild zinc concentration.     

Geochronology and Geochemistry of the Magmatic Rocks from Zedong Ophiolite, Eastern Yarlung-Zangbo Suture Zone, Tibet

The Yarlung Zangbo suture zone extends more than2000 km along southern Tibet and marks the boundary between the Indian subcontinent and Eurasia.The Zedong terrane has been not suggested to represent the vestige of such an intra-oceanic arc developed within the Neo-Tethys Ocean,as a result of the northward subduction of the Neo-Tethys Ocean during the Late Jurassic.In this study,we present detailed geochemical and geochronological data of various types of magmatic rocks widely exposed in the Zedong terrane to constrain the formation age and tectonic setting of the Zedong terrane.We found that the Zedong volcanic rocks belong to high K2O calc-alkaline series,whereas the diabase and gabbro plotted in the low-K calcalkline.The basalt rocks are highly enriched in LREE and LILE,but strongly depleted in HFSE,indicating they were derived from a metasomatized mantle.Both gabbros and diabase have similar N-MORB geochemistry indicates that the cumulates were produced from MOR setting.Zircons from four samples,including the basalt rocks(158-161Ma)are older than the gabbro(131 Ma),certificate the gabbro are as the vein intrude into the basalt rocks.This suggests that the volcanic eruption and plutonic emplacement were coevally developed in the Zedonghave similar positiveεHf(t)values(+2.0 to+15.6)and(+8.6 to+18.4),indicating they were stemmed from similarly depleted mantle sources,same with the gabbro and granitic rocks from the Gangdese arc.Therefore,we proposed that the basalt rocks in the Zedong terrane were formed through partial melting of the mantle wedge metasomatized by slab-released fluids/melts.A part of hydrous basalts were underplated in the thickened lower crust beneath the Zedong terrane,which gave rise to the cumulate and granitic rocks.This suggests that the Zedong terrane represents a slice of the active continental margin developed on the southern margin of the Lhasa terrane as a result of the northward subduction of the Neo-Tethys Ocean during the Late Jurassic,although a possible intra-oceanic arc setting cannot be excluded.     

Iron Isotopic Fractionation and Origin of Chromitites in the Paleo-Moho Transition Zone of the Kop Ophiolite, NE Turkey

The Kop ophiolite in NE Turkey is a fragment of Neo-Tethyan forearc.It can be mainly divided into a paleo-Moho transition zone(MTZ)in the North and a harzburgitic mantle sequence in the South.Dunites are predominant in the MTZ of the Kop ophiolite,and they are locally interlayered with chromitites and enclose minor bodies of harzburgites near the petrological Moho boundary.Large Fe isotopic variations were observed for magnesiochromite(-0.14‰to 0.06‰)and olivine(-0.12‰to 0.14‰)from the MTZ chromitites,dunites and harzburgites.In individual dunite samples,magnesiochromite usually has lighter Fe isotopic compositions than olivine,which was probably caused by subsolidus Mg-Fe exchange between the two mineral phases.Both magnesiochromite and olivine display an increasing trend ofδ56Fe along a profile from chromitite todunite.This trend reflects continuous fractional crystallization in a magma chamber,which resulted in heavier Fe isotopes concentrated in the evolved magmas.In each cumulative cycle of chromitite and dunite,dunite was formed from relatively evolved melts after massive precipitation of magnesiochromite.Mixing of more primitive and evolved melts in the magma chamber was a potential mechanism for triggering the crystallization of magnesiochromite,generating chromitite layers in the cumulate pile.Before mixing happened,the primitive melts had reacted with mantle harzburgites during their ascendance;whereas the evolved melts may lie on the olivine-chromite cotectic near the liquidus field of pyroxene.Variable degrees of magma mixing and differentiation are expected to generate melts with differentδ56Fe values,accounting for the Fe isotopic variations of the Kop MTZ.     

Concentrations of 137Cs, 90Sr, 108m Ag, 239+240 Pu and atom ratio of 240Pu/239Pu in tanner crabs, Chionoecetes japonicus and Chionoecetes opilio collected around Japan

The anthropogenic radionuclides, ¹³⁷Cs, ⁹⁰Sr, ^108mAg, ^239+240Pu, were measured in two Chionoecetes species, red queen crab (Chionoecetes japonicus) and snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) collected around Japan during 1996–2007. There was no increase in the concentrations of these radionuclides and no large variation of the atom ratio of ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu during this research period. These results indicated that the source of the radionuclides was not the radioactive wastes dumped by the former USSR and Russia and originated from past nuclear weapon tests. The higher atom ratio in the crab species than that from global fallout would be contributed by the Pacific Proving Grounds close-in fallout. The variability of the concentration of radionuclides in the crab species would result from the variability of the composition and quantity in the diet. However, the decrease in the concentration of radionuclides with sampling depth would depend on the concentration in the seawater and diet.     

Degradation of plastic carrier bags in the marine environment

There is considerable concern about the hazards that plastic debris presents to wildlife. Use of polymers that degrade more quickly than conventional plastics presents a possible solution to this problem. Here we investigate breakdown of two oxo-biodegradable plastics, compostable plastic and standard polyethylene in the marine environment. Tensile strength of all materials decreased during exposure, but at different rates. Compostable plastic disappeared from our test rig between 16 and 24 weeks whereas approximately 98% of the other plastics remained after 40 weeks. Some plastics require UV light to degrade. Transmittance of UV through oxo-biodegradable and standard polyethylene decreased as a consequence of fouling such that these materials received ～ 90% less UV light after 40 weeks. Our data indicate that compostable plastics may degrade relatively quickly compared to oxo-biodegradable and conventional plastics. While degradable polymers offer waste management solutions, there are limitations to their effectiveness in reducing hazards associated with plastic debris.     

2009年日本骏河湾地震后东海俯冲带上应力转移之探讨

日本西南部位于菲律宾海俯冲板块和欧亚上冲板块交界处。1944年和1946年,东南海和南海分别发生一次8级大逆冲型地震,但与该板块边界相邻的东海却仍保持闭锁状态[1]。因此,东海地区有可能会发生一次大逆冲型地震。2009年,骏河湾发生6.4级地震,地震位于菲律宾海俯冲板块内,靠近东海地区。在此,我们利用断层滑动模型来研究由骏河湾地震引起的应力变化[2]对东海地区的影响。我们发现在这次地震之后,板块边界的地震活动发生率有所上升。东海地区推测的强闭锁地段大都位于应力逐渐增大的地区。其中一小块闭锁地段的破裂——发生在地震应力达到临界值之后——就会引起整个东海地区的破裂,最终引发一场大逆冲型地震。     

广西百朗地下河水和沉积物中有机氯农药的分布特征

为了解典型岩溶地区广西乐业百朗地下河表层水和沉积物中有机氯农药的分布特征,采集地下河不同断面的水和沉积物样品,利用气相色谱仪测定了19种有机氯农药。结果表明:(1)百朗地下河表层水中19种有机氯农药总量(∑OCPs)浓度为1.95～71.45ng/L,HCHs和DDTs浓度分别为未检出至58.40ng/L和未检出至0.44ng/L;(2)沉积物中∑OCPs浓度为0.75～14.85ng/g,HCHs和DDTs浓度分别为0.11～3.52ng/g和0.03～2.90ng/g;(3)地下河表层水和沉积物中有机氯农药的分布与吸附作用、环境温度以及和地下河连通的天坑的底部的土壤侵蚀有关,即因温差作用,大气沉降的有机氯农药易富集在天坑底部(“冷陷阱效应”),并在土壤侵蚀作用下向水体移动,使地下河沉积物中有机氯农药浓度升高;(4)百朗地下河出口沉积物吸附系数最低,但水中有机氯农药浓度较高且种类最多,推测可能是地下河沉积物中因有机氯农药被释放而引起二次污染;(5)表层沉积物中大多数断面的异狄氏剂浓度及乐业县城附近断面的DDTs和DDD浓度在风险评估低值与风险评估中值之间,表明百朗地下河处于较低的生态风险水平;(6)目前,流域部分断面尚有新的γ-HCH(林丹)和DDTs农药输入。由于有机氯农药长期累积,可能对地下河生态系统造成危害,应采取防治措施。