Eignung mikrobieller Biotests für gebundene Schadstoffe Suitability of Microbial Bioassays for Bound Contaminants

Toxicity of soil spiked with water soluble and insoluble contaminants was assessed with bacteria. Three bioassays were used with common soil bacteria. Water soluble fractions from the soils were estimated in microtiterplates via dehydrogenase activity of B. cereus and growth of P. putida. A new method was developed using B. cereus to include effects of soil particles with bound contaminants. As contaminants p-nitrophenol and 2-naphthol were tested in these systems. Results indicated that the concentration of the contaminants in the soil solution is determined by soil properties. Toxicity of water soluble fractions was not only a result of the toxicant's concentration but further modified by soluble components of the soils. It is not possible to assess soil pollution from toxicity of the water soluble fraction in general, because unknown factors of the soluble soil fraction can influence toxicity greatly. The newly developed contact bioassay with B. cereus showed clearly higher toxicity of 2-naphthol estimated in soil suspension than did the comparable test system with the same bacteria using water soluble fractions only. The results stress the importance of including soil particles into bioassay procedures. It was shown that also water insoluble, bound contaminants can act as toxicants. For an estimation of toxicity under conditions more relevant for the environment, the suggested test system can provide useful information to bioavailability of bound contaminants.     

Trace Metals in Selected Benthic Invertebrates from Belgian Coastal Waters (1981–1996)

Mercury, cadmium, lead, copper, zinc and chromium were assessed in brown shrimp (Crangon crangon), swimming crab (Liocarcinus holsatus), hermit crab (Pagurus bernhardus), starfish (Asterias rubens) and cut trough shell (Spisula subtruncata) from ten sampling stations off the Belgian coast, including three dredge spoils disposal sites. Calculations of time trends indicated that on the whole concentrations of trace metals had significantly decreased since 1981, also on dredged material dumping sites. Starfish and hermit crab were found to be the most promising benthic indicator species for metal contamination. Globally, the location of the sites, including the dredge spoils disposal zones, showed to be of little influence on the concentrations of trace metals.     

Geochemistry and geochronology of proterozoic tholeiite dykes of east antarctica: evidence for mantle metasomatism

Two episodes of tholeiite dyke emplacement have been identified in Archaean high-grade metamorphics of the Napier Complex in Enderby Land. Middle Proterozoic Amundsen dykes are typical continental tholeiites and most of the chemical variation in individual suites can be explained in terms of different degrees of partial melting and low-pressure crystal fractionation. Group I Amundsen tholeiites were derived from a relatively homogeneous source region 1,190±200 m.y. ago, whereas that of the group II Amundsen tholeiites was chemically and isotopically heterogeneous. Group II dykes have various degrees of enrichment in incompatible elements, and commonly show normalised trace element abundance patterns with negative Nb anomalies. These features imply variable metasomatism of the source region by a volatile-rich fluid phase (rather than a melt of any observed igneous composition) enriched in K, Rb, Ba, Th, and possibly La and Ce.Early Proterozoic (2,350±48 m.y.) tholeiites were emplaced at considerable depths in the crust during the waning stages of granulite-facies metamorphism and include a high-Mg suite of possible komatiitic affinity, ranging in composition from hypersthene-rich tholeiite (norite) to quartz-rich tholeiite. They tend to have higher ratios of highly to moderately incompatible elements (e.g., K/Zr, K/Ce), and larger Nb anomalies (i.e., higher K/Nb) compared with middle Proterozoic tholeiites, suggesting derivation from more enriched source regions. Isotopic data are not compatible with significant crustal contamination, but constrain source metasomatism to a time immediately before emplacement. Metasomatism of the source region of the much younger group I tholeiites may have been contemporaneous with that of the high-Mg suite.     

Ar–Ar age determinations of eclogitic clinopyroxene and garnet inclusions in diamonds from the Venetia and Orapa kimberlites

Ar–Ar age measurements are reported for selected eclogitic clinopyroxene and garnet inclusions in Orapa diamonds and clinopyroxene inclusions in Venetia diamonds. Laser drilling of encapsulated clinopyroxene inclusions within Venetia diamonds released a maximum of 3% of the total ⁴⁰Ar, indicating little diffusive transfer and storage of radiogenic ⁴⁰Ar at the diamond–inclusion boundary. Apparent ages obtained during stepped heating of three diamonds are consistent with diamond crystallisation occurring just prior to the kimberlite eruption 520 Ma ago. Stepped heating of three clinopyroxene-bearing Orapa diamonds gave ages of 906–1032 Ma, significantly above the eruption age, but consistent with previously determined isotopic ages. A few higher apparent ages hint at the presence an older generation of Orapa diamonds that formed >2500 Ma ago. Orapa garnets also contain measurable K contents, and record a range of ages between 1000 and 2500 Ma. The old apparent ages and lack of significant interface ⁴⁰Ar released by the laser probe, suggests that pre-eruption radiogenic ⁴⁰Ar and mantle-derived ⁴⁰Ar components are trapped in microinclusions within the pyroxene and garnet inclusions.     

Observing total solar eclipses from near the edge of the predicted path

Suitable observations from various locations in the predicted path of a total solar eclipse can provide information about the relative positions and shapes of the Sun and Moon to about ±0.02. The total solar eclipse of 1972, July 10 was observed from locations near the edges of its predicted path. The durations of the limb phenomena were greatly enhanced. Preliminary analysis of the observations shows that the eclipse shadow passed 3 km northeast of its predicted path.Communication presented at the conference on Lunar Dynamics and Observational Coordinate Systems held January 15–17, 1973 at the Lunar Science Institute, Houston, Tex., U.S.A.     

The differential cosmic ray energy flux in the light of an ultrarelativistic generalized Lorentzian thermodynamics

The ultrarelativistic generalized Lorentzian quasi-equilibrium thermodynamic energy distribution is tentatively applied to the energy spectrum of galactic cosmic ray fluxes. It is found that the inferred power law slopes contain a component which evolves with cosmic ray energy in steps of thirds, resembling the sequence of structure functions in fully developed Kolmogorov turbulence. Within the generalized thermodynamics the chemical potential is estimated from the deviation of the fluxes at decreasing energy, presumably throwing light on the cosmic ray acceleration mechanism. A relation between involved turbulent volumina and structure functions is obtained. The conclusions drawn hold only within the realm of applicability of thermodynamics to cosmic ray spectra.     

Pfunds-Landeck

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

A mechanism for the production of planetary nebulae

C¹² stars in the range 1.04–1.55M are evolved to simulate the core evolution of the possible precursors of planetary nebulae. The nuclear shell burning in stars above 1.2M advances to within about 0.2M of the surface, where the intense radiation interacts with the surface matter and causes mass loss. Comparison between our theoretical results and observations suggests that this may be a mechanism by which planetary nebulae are formed.Presented at the Trieste Colloquium on Mass Loss from Stars, September 12–16, 1968.