The nationwide investigation of endocrine disruptors in sediment of harbours

Various types of endocrine disruptors or environmental hormones flow from their sources down into harbours through rivers and other watercourses, and are accumulated in sediment on the sea bottom. Tributyltin, which has been used as paint for ship bottoms, is considered one of the endocrine disruptors.In close cooperation with the other ministries and agencies, the Ports and Harbours Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport carried out an investigation in 1999 to determine the actual condition of 12 endocrine disruptors in the sediment of 39 harbours, in order to gather fundamental data to be used in future examinations of policy. Furthermore, in 2000 the bureau chose seven harbours out of the above 39 harbours as subjects of an additional investigation regarding the surface distribution of endocrine disruptors in the harbour areas and the synchronistic change of accumulation of dioxin and other substances. As the result of the investigation regarding the surface distribution of endocrine disruptors accumulated in seven harbours, relatively high concentrations were measured in the innermost parts of harbours and the mouths of rivers. Synchronistic changes in the amount of dioxin and other substances accumulated in sediments of five harbours were determined. Small amounts of dioxin and other substances, including an especially small amount of coplanar-PCBs, were found in the layers formed before or around 1950. Relatively large amounts of these substances were measured in the upper layers formed during roughly 1960-1990, though no significant yearly differences in concentration could be identified. This result coincides with the facts that, during roughly 1960-1980, PCP and CNP were used as agricultural chemicals and full-scale production of PCBs started in 1960.     

Chemical mass balance in a reaction zone between serpentinite and metapelites in the Nishisonogi metamorphic rocks, Kyushu, Japan: Implications for devolatilization

Abstract   Reaction zones of 0.5–10.0 m thick are commonly observed between serpentinite and pelitic schist in the Nishisonogi metamorphic rocks, Kyushu, Japan. Each reaction zone consists of almost monomineralic or bimineralic layers of talc + carbonates, actinolite (or carbonates + quartz), chlorite, muscovite and albite from serpentinite to pelitic schist. Magnesite + quartz veins extend into the serpentinite from the talc + carbonates layer, while dolomite veins extend into the pelitic schist from the muscovite layer. These veins are filled by subhedral minerals with oriented growth features. Primary fluid inclusions yield the same homogenization temperatures (145–150°C) both in the reaction zone and in the veins, suggesting their simultaneous formation. Mass-balance calculations using the isocon method indicate that SiO₂, MgO, H₂O and K₂O are depleted in the reaction zone relative to the protoliths. These components were probably extracted from the reaction zone as fluids during the formation of the reaction zone.     

Talnakhite Associated with Andradite Skarn at Fuka, Okayama Prefecture, Japan

Abstract. Talnakhite occurs in an andradite skarn forming adjacent to a leucocratic quartz monzonite dike intruded into limestone at Fuka. The mineral densely contains exsolution lamellae of chalcopyrite, and the talnakhite-chalcopyrite inter-growth is intimately associated with bornite that contains chalcopyrite as a lattice-form exsolution. The chemical composition of the talnakhite acquired on an electron probe microanalyzer corresponds to Cu_9.00Fe_8.08S_15.92, very close to the ideal chemical formula Cu₉Fe₈S₁₆. Nickel is not detected. The X-ray powder diffraction lines are well indexed on a body-centered cubic cell with a = 10.589 Å. The characteristic (110) reflection of talnakhite is clearly observed at 7.49 Å. The present talnakhite retains the chalcopyrite-like colored polished surface without tarnish in air more than a month.
Talnakhite at Fuka is likely to be derived from breakdown of Cu-rich intermediate solid solution ( iss ), which was in equilibrium with Fe-rich bornite at elevated temperatures. Talnakhite thus formed has survived the subsequent cooling processes, probably because the ƒ_s2 was maintained in suitable levels preventing its decomposition into bornite and chalcopyrite.     

40Ar-39Ar Spectra of Alunite from Phreatic Craters in the Muine Volcano, Hokkaido, Japan

Abstract. ⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar analyses of two alunite samples from phreatic craters in the Pliocene Muine volcano in southwest Hokkaido, Japan, were carried out. The alunite with 17.4 permil δ³⁴S_{V_CDT} value in hydrothermal breccia from the Nagaoyama crater and that with 14.3 permil δ³⁴S_{V_CDT} value in silicified andesite from the Konuma crater give total fusion ages of 1.40 ± 0.04 Ma (la uncertainty) and 1.24 ± 0.08 Ma, respectively. However, the spectra of these samples indicate they have been effected by thermal overprinting and/or the existence of excess argon. These preliminary ⁴⁰Ar-³⁹A analyses suggest that the alunite underwent multiple hydrothermal activity by magmatic gas and vapor subsequent to the main hydrothermal activity.     

THE INTERLINKAGE OF LARGE-SCALE SYSTEMS BETWEEN HIGH AND LOW LATITUDES RELATED TO PROPAGATION OF THE PLANETARY WAVE AROUND EAST ASIA IN SUMMER

This study has reviewed recent studies about impact of the Rossby wave propagation on theweather of East Asia.Then,we have focused on the northward progression of the subtropical highaffected by the propagations and their interaction.The following results are obtained:(1)The twokinds of meridional Rossby wave propagations often affect the East Asian weather in summer,which propagate in two conflicting directions(northwest-southeastward and southwest-northeast-ward).This is considered as the interaction of the large-scale systems between high and lowlatitudes with wave propagation,especially to the circulation systems around East Asia.(2)Thenorthward progression of the subtropical high is largely restrained,aecompanied by the southwardshift of the convective activity in middle latitudes,under the strong and persistent Rossby wavepropagation from high to low latitudes.And the opposite role could be found in the Rossby wavepropagation from low to high latitudes.     

Free precession of Cyg X-3 and the 34.1-day periodicity

The origin of the 34.1-day periodicity in X-ray and -ray from Cyg X-3 has not been made clear so far. In this paper, we propose a free precession model for an elastic neutron star. This model explains the 34.1-day periodicity and predicts the unobserved spin period for Cyg X-3 to be about 100 ms. Taking into account the possibility that the secular spin angular velocity of the star is different from that observed presently, the analogous long-terms periodicities of Her X-1 and Cen X-3 are also accounted for in this theory.     

Partitioning of heavy metals into mineral and organic fractions in a sediment core sample from Osaka Bay

Partitioning of copper, zinc, iron and manganese into oxide, sulfide, organic and silicate fractions has been determined with a selective chemical leaching technique on sediment samples from a core collected in Osaka Bay. The samples have been dated by the²¹⁰Pb method. Most of the copper and zinc in the polluted surface sediment layer are contained in both oxide and sulfide fractions. This suggests that the transformation of oxides and hydroxides to sulfides under anoxic conditions within the sediment is significant for the fixation of copper and zinc discharged through human activities into the sediment. Manganese is apparently enriched in oxide and hydroxide fractions of the surface layer due to the post-depositional migration of manganese within the sediment. The copper, zinc and manganese contents of the 30 % H₂O₂ soluble fraction (mostly organic fraction) decrease with depth in the sediment core, and correlate significantly with the organic carbon content. The heavy metal (Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn) contents of the silicate fraction, without exchangeable sites, are almost constant with depth.     

The latest batch-to-batch difference table of standard seawater and its application to the WOCE onetime sections

An updated batch-to-batch difference table of IAPSO standard seawater (SSW) up to P145 is proposed. The batch-to-batch difference table is based on several recent SSW comparison experiments, including the experiments conducted independently at the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) and Woods Hole Institute of Oceanography (WHOI) at about the same time using the same procedure. Proposed batch-to-batch differences range from 1.2 × 10⁻³ to −1.9 × 10⁻³ with reference to the average of those from P91 to P102. Batch-to-batch differences from P29 to P145 with reference to the recent batches and this average over every 5 years since 1960 are also presented, together with standard deviation. This reveals that inconsistency among batches has improved since 1980s. In particular, the standard deviation was 0.3 × 10⁻³ in this decade, which is about one-half the value reported previously and almost equal to the modern measurement precision (0.2 × 10⁻³) and is within-batch difference (<0.3 × 10⁻³). Proposed batch-to-batch differences were applied to the observational results of the WOCE hydrographic onetime section (WHP onetime) in the Indian Ocean. Average absolute salinity differences at 14 crossover points in the Indian Ocean were slightly larger, from 1.2 × 10⁻³ to 1.5 × 10⁻³, when the batch-to-batch difference table was applied; however, when results from the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans were combined, application of the batch-to-batch difference table yielded statistically acceptable salinity differences. The table was also applied to WHP sections P1 and P17 (revisited about 10 years after the original observations during the WOCE period) and sections I1, I7, and I8 (visited twice by different research vessels in the same year). In all cases, the table corrected unrealistically large salinity changes in space and time. The results suggest that the application of the batch-to-batch table to well-controlled salinity data such as WOCE datasets would be effective in making the datasets more consistent in space and time.     

Interstitial water chemistry in deep-sea sediments from the Japan Sea

Vertical profiles of pH, Eh, and major and minor chemical constituents in interstitial waters have been studied in four piston cores from deep-sea basins of the Japan Sea. Sulfate concentration decreases remarkably with increasing depth in three cores, and hydrogen sulfide is observed in two cores although the overlying bottom water is highly aerated. Three types of interstitial waters are observed in the four cores: (1) alkalinity and manganese concentration increase gradually with increasing depth, and sulfate reduction is not appreciable, (2) alkalinity increases and sulfate concentration decreases remarkably, and hydrogen sulfide is not detected, and (3) alkalinity increases and sulfate concentration decreases remarkably, and hydrogen sulfide is observed. Factors controlling the chemical composition of interstitial waters are discussed.     

Some regular patterns in the distribution of sediment contamination in the coastal waters along Japan

Observations of sediment contamination along the coast of Japan were analyzed. When the pollutant concentration is divided by the fine particle fraction in the sediment, a regular pattern is observed in the quantitative relationship among the degree and the area of contamination and the discharge rate of pollutant released continuously into the water along the coast. This regularity was observed with respect to COD,n-hexane soluble substances and heavy metals, and could be expressed by a formula.Polluted particles were supposed to disperse through suspension in the bottom water layer, and thus their distribution in the surface sediment is expected to become similar to effluent dispersion in the surface water.