Measurement of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in plastic resin pellets from remote islands: toward establishment of background concentrations for International Pellet Watch

Plastic resin pellets collected from remote islands in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans and the Caribbean Sea were analyzed for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichloro-diphenyltrichloroethane and its degradation products (DDTs), and hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs). Concentrations of PCBs (sum of 13 congeners) in the pellets were 0.1-9.9 ng/g-pellet. These were 1-3 orders of magnitude smaller than those observed in pellets from industrialized coastal shores. Concentrations of DDTs in the pellets were 0.8-4.1 ng/g-pellet. HCH concentrations were 0.6-1.7 ng/g-pellet, except for 19.3 ng/g-pellet on St. Helena, where current use of lindane is likely influence. This study provides background levels of POPs (PCBs<10 ng/g-pellet, DDTs <4 ng/g-pellet, HCHs <2 ng/g-pellet) for International Pellet Watch. Sporadic large concentrations of POPs were found in some pellet samples from remote islands and should be considered in future assessments of pollutants on plastic debris.     

Links between bacterial communities in marine sediments and trace metal geochemistry as measured by in situ DET/DGT approaches

Our current view about the relationship between metals and bacteria in marine sediments might be biased because most studies only use ex situ approaches to quantify metals. The aim of the present research was to compare ex situ and in situ methods of metal measurement (DET and DGT--diffusive equilibration or diffusive gradients in thin-films) and relate the results with two commonly used microbiological variables (bacterial biomass and bacterial diversity as revealed by DGGE). No previous studies have used such in situ approaches in microbial ecology. For biomass and most of the investigated trace metals (Ag, Cd, Sn, Cr, Ni, Cu, Pb, and Al) no significant correlations were found. The exceptions were Fe, Mn, Co, and As which behave like micronutrients. For bacterial diversity, no relevant relationships were found. We conclude that in situ methods are more adapted tools for microbial ecologists but that ex situ approaches are still necessary.     

A robust damage detection method developed for offshore jacket platforms using modified artificial immune system algorithm

Steel jacket-type platforms are the common kind of the offshore structures and health monitoring is an important issue in their safety assessment.In the present study,a new damage detection method is adopted for this kind of structures and inspected experimentally by use of a laboratory model.The method is investigated for developing the robust damage detection technique which is less sensitive to both measurement and analytical model uncertainties.For this purpose,incorporation of the artificial immune system with weighted attributes(AISWA) method into finite element(FE) model updating is proposed and compared with other methods for exploring its effectiveness in damage identification.Based on mimicking immune recognition,noise simulation and attributes weighting,the method offers important advantages and has high success rates.Therefore,it is proposed as a suitable method for the detection of the failures in the large civil engineering structures with complicated structural geometry,such as the considered case study.     

Sediment load calculations from point measurements in sand-bed rivers

Point velocity and suspended sediment concentration measurements are used to calculate the total sediment discharge in sand-bed rivers.Calculations with the Series Expansion of the Modified Einstein Point Procedure(SEMEPP) depend on grain diameter d_s and settling velocity ω,flow depth h,shear velocity u*,and sampling depth h_p.This procedure extends the applicability of the Modified Einstein Procedure(MEP) by using point sediment concentration and velocity measurements.This procedure is tested using the laboratory data from Coleman,and field measurements from the Enoree,Middle Rio Grande and Mississippi Rivers.Based on 801 point measurements over 124 verticals at flow depths ranging from 0.17 m to 33.5 m and sediment concentrations less than 0.1 kg L~(-1),the accuracy of the calculations depends on u*/ω and h_p/d_s.Point measurement techniques like SEMEPP are well-suited when u*/ω 5 where at least 60%of the total sediment load is measured when 90%of the flow depth is sampled.The determination of sediment discharge from point measurements is most accurate in deep rivers when h_p/d_s 10.000.and u*/ω10.Point measurements are not well-suited for shallow rivers and laboratory flumes where h 0.5 m and when u*/ω 2.     

Environmental characterization of periphyton community

The present paper deals with the behavior of the Attached Microbial Community （AMC） for water self-purification at different riverbeds in a typical local river. The study quantitatively investigated the problem starting with in-situ sampling. It was found that more biomass of AMC was at riffles with wider distribution than in pools. High current velocity （HCV） plays a negative role at the initial stage of attachment on the riverbed, but HCV aids the community proliferation after stable attachment. External disturbances such as rainfalls and discharges from dams or reservoirs would detach the periphyton depending on the intensity of turbulence in water. However, it was discovered that the flock of periphyton could be restored very quickly because it was not completely removed. Thus, in order to enhance self-purification by periphyton, a suitable configuration of the riverbed must be constructed, and occasional appropriate repair along the channels would improve the decontamination of the river.     

Sinian Stratigraphy of the Yangtze Valley

INTRODUCTION The term 'Sinian', in its restricted sense, is used to designate asequence of old, sub-metamorphosed or normal sediments, lying unconfor-mably upon the deeply metamorphosed and schistose series of the Wutai,and below the fossiliferous beds of the Lower Cambrian. In the YangtzeValley, it generally comprises a sub-metamorphosed sequence including     

Land Utilization in Chengtu Plain, Szechwan

In the north-western part of Szechwan Basin is the famous Chengtu Plain,with an area of 8,000 sq. km. and at 500-700 m. above the sea level. It is a huge alluvial plain formed by cohesion of many alluvial fans, among which the Minking fan is the largest, constituting 2/3 of the area of Chengtu Plain.     

A Proposed Index System for Cartographical Maps of China

This proposed system is based on the following considerations: ⅠSuitable projection ⅡSystematic index ⅢFacility o! combining ⅣEasy reference ⅤEconomic reproduction.     

A Proposed Index System for Cartographical Maps of China

This proposed system is based on the following considerations: ⅠSuitable projection ⅡSystematic index ⅢFacility o! combining ⅣEasy reference ⅤEconomic reproduction.