Effects of heavy oil in the developing spotted halibut, Verasper variegatus

It is well known that heavy oil (HO) on the sea surface causes serious problems in the aquatic environment. In particular, some species of teleosts which develop on the sea surface are thought to be affected by the HO which flows out from tankers or coastal industry. However, the toxicological effects of HO are not fully understood. We performed exposure experiments using the Pleuronectiformean fish, spotted halibut (Verasper variegatus), which is an important fishery resource in Japan. In course of the development, HO-exposed embryos showed remarkable delay in developmental processes including somite formation. We further observed abnormal development of the head morphology. Notably, treated embryos had relatively small eyes and craniofacial structures. These findings strongly suggest that HO seriously affects the cell proliferation and differentiation of the embryo. In addition, HO-exposed embryos showed abnormal neuronal development. We also performed the exposure in the larval stage. Treatment of post-hatching larvae with HO resulted in significantly greater mortality compared with controls. Through these observations, we finally conclude that HO is strongly toxic to halibut in their early life stages.     

Preliminary health risk assessment for polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans in seafood from Guangzhou and Zhoushan, China

Dietary intake is one of the important routes of human exposure to brominated flame retardants (BFRs) such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The use of PBDEs may also result in exposure to polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PBDDs/DFs), as these compounds are impurities in technical mixtures of BFRs and can also be formed unintentionally by the same processes that generate chlorinated dioxins. This study determined the concentrations of polybrominated compounds in common seafood in Guangzhou and Zhoushan, and assessed the health risks of these chemicals via consumption of contaminated seafood. Seafood samples (fish, bivalves, shrimp, crab, and cephalopods) purchased from local markets in 2003 and 2004 were analyzed for PBDEs and PBDDs/DFs. The highest concentration of total PBDEs (46.3 ng g(-1) lipid wt.) was detected in fish from Guangzhou, in which BDEs 47 and 209 were the two predominant congeners. The total daily intakes of PBDEs, PBDDs, and PBDFs were, 946, 6.39, and 6.54 pg kg(-1) body weight (bw) in Guangzhou, and 489, 4.99, and 7.65 pg kg(-1) bw in Zhoushan, respectively. The hazard ratios for PBDDs and PBDFs were both greater than unity, indicating that these compounds may pose some health risks to the local population.     

Dynamics of flood water infiltration and ground water recharge in hyperarid desert

A study on flood water infiltration and ground water recharge of a shallow alluvial aquifer was conducted in the hyperarid section of the Kuiseb River, Namibia. The study site was selected to represent a typical desert ephemeral river. An instrumental setup allowed, for the first time, continuous monitoring of infiltration during a flood event through the channel bed and the entire vadose zone. The monitoring system included flexible time domain reflectometry probes that were designed to measure the temporal variation in vadose zone water content and instruments to concurrently measure the levels of flood and ground water. A sequence of five individual floods was monitored during the rainy season in early summer 2006. These newly generated data served to elucidate the dynamics of flood water infiltration. Each flood initiated an infiltration event which was expressed in wetting of the vadose zone followed by a measurable rise in the water table. The data enabled a direct calculation of the infiltration fluxes by various independent methods. The floods varied in their stages, peaks, and initial water contents. However, all floods produced very similar flux rates, suggesting that the recharge rates are less affected by the flood stages but rather controlled by flow duration and available aquifer storage under it. Large floods flood the stream channel terraces and promote the larger transmission losses. These, however, make only a negligible contribution to the recharge of the ground water. It is the flood duration within the active streambed, which may increase with flood magnitude that is important to the recharge process.     

Ground water sustainability: methodology and application to the North China Plain

This article analyzes part of a ground water flow system in the North China Plain (NCP) subject to severe overexploitation and rapid depletion. A transient ground water flow model was constructed and calibrated to quantify the changes in the flow system since the predevelopment 1950s. The flow model was then used in conjunction with an optimization code to determine optimal pumping schemes that improve ground water management practices. Finally, two management scenarios, namely, urbanization and the South-to-North Water Transfer Project, were evaluated for their potential impacts on the ground water resources in the study area. Although this study focuses on the NCP, it illustrates a general modeling framework for analyzing the sustainability, or the lack thereof, of ground water flow systems driven by similar hydrogeologic and economic conditions. The numerical simulation is capable of quantifying the various components of the overall flow budget and evaluating the impacts of different management scenarios. The optimization modeling allows the determination of the maximum "sustainable pumping" that satisfies a series of prescribed constraints. It can also be used to minimize the economic costs associated with ground water development and management. Furthermore, since the NCP is one of the most water scarce and economically active regions in the world, the conclusions and insights from this study are of general interest and international significance.     

(137)Cs baseline levels in the Mediterranean and Black Sea: a cross-basin survey of the CIESM Mediterranean Mussel Watch programme

The common mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis was selected as unique biomonitor species to implement a regional monitoring programme, the CIESM Mediterranean Mussel Watch (MMW), in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. As of today, and upon standardization of the methodological approach, the MMW Network has been able to quantify (137)Cs levels in mussels from 60 coastal stations and to produce the first distribution map of this artificial radionuclide at the scale of the entire Mediterranean and Black Seas. While measured (137)Cs levels were found to be very low (usually < 1 Bq kg(-1) wet wt) (137)Cs activity concentrations in the Black Sea and North Aegean Sea were up to two orders of magnitude higher than those in the western Mediterranean Basin. Such effects, far from representing a threat to human populations or the environment, reflect a persistent signature of the Chernobyl fallout in this area.     

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.     

2002年南海季风爆发前后西沙海区海-气通量交换及其变化

利用2002年4月24日至6月20日在西沙海区进行的第三次南海海-气通量观测试验资料,采用涡相关法和TOGA COARE2.5b版本通量计算方案,计算了西南季风爆发前后海洋-大气间的通量交换,讨论了辐射、动量、感热通量、潜热通量、海洋热量净收支的时间变化特征及其与气象要素变化的关系.结果表明：西南季风爆发前后,太阳短波辐射、海面净辐射、潜热通量和海洋热量净收支变化特别强烈;通量变化受不同环境要素的影响：感热通量与海-气温差呈正相关关系,与气温呈明显的负相关关系.潜热通量与风速、海-气温差及海面水温均有正相关关系,其中与风速的关系最密切.动量通量（τ）主要随风速变化,它与风速（V）的关系可以表示为τ=0.00185V2-0.00559V+0.01248.     

古老大陆岩石圈地幔再循环与蛇绿岩中铬铁矿床成因

不同地区、不同时代蛇绿岩中不同类型铬铁矿岩的Re-Os同位素研究表明,在铬铁矿石或围岩中均存在极度亏损的具有大陆岩石圈地幔属性的物质。新疆达拉布特古生代蛇绿岩带中萨尔托海富Al铬铁矿岩的Os同位素组成为0.1109～0.1256,对应的模式年龄为3.5～0.6Ga;西藏班公湖—怒江中生代蛇绿岩带中东巧富Cr铬铁矿石及围岩Os同位素组成介于0.1175～0.1261,对应的模式年龄为1.5～0.1Ga;雅鲁藏布江中生代蛇绿岩带中罗布莎富Cr铬铁矿岩的Os同位素变化范围为0.1038～0.1266,对应的模式年龄为3.37～0.28Ga,而该带中不含矿的泽当二辉橄榄岩的Os同位素组成为0.1256～0.1261,没有古老大陆岩石圈地幔属性的物质存在,与新特提斯洋地幔Os组成较为接近。推测在蛇绿岩形成过程中,古老大陆岩石圈地幔参与循环有利于形成铬铁矿床,明确提出"熔体与古老大陆岩石圈地幔反应成矿"的假说,指出蛇绿岩带中存在的古老微陆块可能是找矿的指示标志。     

随钻定向取心器研究

介绍了一种具有随钻定向取心特点、定向精度高、标记清晰可靠、结构简单、操作简便、性能比SDQ－91型更好的SDQ－94A型定向取心器。     

安徽东至兆吉口铅锌矿地球化学特征及成因类

安徽东至兆吉口铅锌矿的主要赋矿层位为蓟县系环沙组下段,成矿元素来源多元化,环沙组变质围岩和矿体附近岩浆岩体是重要矿源层.通过对该区岩石地球化学特征和矿床地球化学特征的分析总结,认为兆吉口铅锌矿是一个与岩浆活动有关的浅成低温热液充填型矿床.