The Flood in the Odra River 1997 – Impact of Suspended Solids on Water Quality

The flood in the Odra river in 1997 has led to considerable additional pollution of the Stettin Lagoon and the Baltic Sea with contaminated suspended solids. For some priority substances, the pollutant entries via suspended solids during the flood period are estimated to be approximately 1/3 of the usual annual load. Among these priority pollutants there are total organic carbon (TOC), nitrogen, and the heavy metals Cu, Pb and Zn. For the concentrations of the priority pollutants in suspended solids accumulation factors from 2 to 4 in the comparison with normal conditions were observed. On the basis of the analysis of sediments sampled after the flood, main sources of the pollutants should be evaluated. As reference area with an industrial background as well as a typical pollutant pattern the region around Glogow/Legnica is proposed.     

Anwendung einer enzymatischen Methode zur Charakterisierung von Huminstoffen Enzymatic Characterization of Humic Substances

A method is described for the specific hydrolysis of amino acids from humic substances by using the proteolytic enzyme “Pronase E”. The amino acids are analyzed by a fluorescence detector after precolumn derivatization and HPLC-separation. The pattern and the concentration of amino acids after the enzymatic hydrolysis are set up for humic substances of different origin. Due to the results the enzymatic hydrolysis is suitable for the characterization of humic substances with a nitrogen content higher than 3%. As shown in a kinetic study of the hydrolysis of a fulvic acid the influence of humic substances on the enzyme activity increases in case of lower nitrogen content. Due to the specificity of the proteolytic enzyme the operationally defined method is limited as shown by a protein of a known amino acid content. The amino acids leucine, valine, tyrosine and histidine are released to the highest extent. The determined total extent for the hydrolysis of Insulin B is 26.34% and for Casein 38.37%. By comparison of the enzymatic hydrolysis with the classic acid hydrolysis the advantages of the biochemical method are the simple experimental handling and the mild reaction conditions. Amino acids which are very unstable like glutamine and asparagine can only be analyzed by the enzymatic hydrolysis.     

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.     

Adsorption und Hydrolyse von Methylparathion an Aktivkohle und Adsorberharz Adsorption and Hydrolysis of Methyl Parathion (MPT) on Activated Carbon and Adsorption Resin

Investigating adsorption of methyl parathion on the activated carbons Filtrasorb 400 and F 44 and on the adsorption polymer Wofatit Y 77 we found a stronger adsorption on the carbons at smaller concentration whereas the resin has the larger capacity at higher concentration. Adsorbents were regenerated through hydrolysis of the pesticide at pH = 11.7. The velocity of hydrolysis in the adsorbed state is reduced to a tenth of that in solution. However, a transport resistance in the pores of adsorbents seems to be negligible as may be concluded from the very small measured particle diameter dependence of the velocity constants. In adsorption-regeneration measurements the capacity of the adsorbents stabilized at about 70% of that of the fresh adsorbents.     

1954年甘肃山丹7(1/4)级地震史料补遗

在归纳1954年山丹71/4级地震已有地震史料的基础上,根据新获得的朱允明(2006)《山丹地震考察笔记》的详细考察资料,按照《新中国地震烈度表》重新评定了本次地震中各考察点的地震烈度,重新绘制了该地震的等震线图。其中,极震区Ⅸ—Ⅹ度区长轴方向为北西向,呈扁椭圆形,长轴直径约40km;Ⅷ度区南西侧为山丹盆地,第四纪沉积较厚,地震烈度衰减缓慢,因此,Ⅷ度区等震线向南明显突出。1954年山丹71/4级地震极震区位于龙首山北缘断裂西段,大致与该断裂的包代河-黑头山段相吻合,综合分析认为,该段断裂是本次地震的主发震断层,而破喇嘛顶西缘断裂和毛湖洞断裂是重要的参与断裂。     

龙岩地震台GM4型磁通门磁力仪典型干扰分析

GM4型磁通门磁力仪是"十五"项目中地磁学科主要仪器。龙岩台GM4型磁通门磁力仪主要受到来自铁磁性物质和电磁类型的干扰。由已知干扰类型,对记录曲线典型畸变形态进行对比、分析、总结,可以更好分辨干扰,进行恰当、合理、准确地预处理,保证数据的连续、可靠、精确。     

Molecular fossil and paleovegetation records of paleosol S4 and adjacent loess layers in the Luochuan loess section, NW China

Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique, a series of biomarkers were identi- fied, including n-alkanes, n-alkane-2-ones, isoprenoid etc. from the loess-paleosol samples collected from the S4 and adjacent L5, L4 of the Luochuan loess section, Northwestern China. Based on these data, especially n-alkanes and high-resolution magnetic susceptibility and grain size data, the pa- leoenvironment and paleovegetation history during S4 was reconstructed. The CPI (Carbon Predomi- nance Index) and correlation between n-alkanes and magnetic susceptibility and grain size data dem- onstrated that the molecular fossils in paleosol and loess layers can reflect the vegetation condition during the loess-paleosol formation, if the allochthonous organic inputs could be excluded reasonably. The ACL (average chain length) index is correlated well with paleomagnetic susceptibility and grain size variations, displaying their good synchrony with warm and humid climate. However, it relatively lagged behind the paleomagnetic susceptibility and the grain size variations when the climate began to deteriorate. During the formation period of paleosol, the n-alkanes was dominated by C31 homologue, indicating that the primary organic input originated from herbs. Our study also demonstrated that the herbs were more flourish than wood plants in Loess Plateau, especially in the Luochuan area during the warm and humid phase, and there was no typical forest vegetation developed in the studied period.     

Carbon isotope ratios of C_4 plants in loess areas of North China

Recent stable carbon isotope studies have shown that the occurrence of C4 plants on the Earth was much later than that of C3 plants and there was a global ex-pansion of C4 biomass around 5―8 million years ago[1]. Although far fewer species use the C4 pat…     

Do Acid-tolerant Cyanobacteria Exist?

Acidification of freshwater ecosystems changes phytoplankton biomass and reduces species composition. However, there are contradictory statements with respect to the occurrence of cyanobacteria below pH 4.5. Textbooks have not reported cyanobacteria in acid and very acid environments, whereas only a few papers on acidification of lakes through acid precipitation noted the occurrence of cyanobacteria in those environments. In a phytoplankton survey of 10 lakes in the Bavarian Forest as well as the lignite mining districts of Bavaria (Upper Palatine) and Lusatia, covering a pH gradient from 8.0 to 2.8, we demonstrate that acid-tolerant cyanobacteria do exist. Most strikingly, one of the most acid lakes (pH 2.9), Lichtenauer See (Lusatia), was inhabited by two populations of filamentous cyanobacteria, resembling Oscillatorial/Limnothrix and Spirulina spp. Eukaryotic phytoplankton was almost absent in this lake at the time. In contrast to filamentous cyanobacteria, picoplanktic ones were totally lacking where pH < 4.5. This indicates that members of coccal picoplanktic cyanobacteria and filamentous cyanobacteria have different acid tolerances. At present, it is not known how the acid-tolerant cyanobacteria described here maintain a strong transmembrane pH gradient.     

Dissolved Carbohydrate Concentration,Composition, and Bioavailability to Microbial Heterotrophs in Stream Water

Dissolved total carbohydrates (DTCH), dissolved free monosaccharides (DFMS), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), biodegradable DOC (BDOC), and humic substances (HS) were measured in White Clay Creek (WCC), a stream in southeastern Pennsylvania Piedmont, USA. Samples were collected over different seasons and under baseflow and stormflow conditions. DOC concentrations ranged from 1.0 to 12.8 mg/L C with the highest concentrations associated with stormflows. Carbohydrates ranged from 0.42 to 12.4 μM and accounted for 2.9 to 12.7% of the DOC. Humic substances represented the major DOC fraction, accounting for 55 to 72% of the DOC pool under all flow conditions. The humic fraction had a lower carbohydrate content (4.4%) than the non-humic fraction of DOC (7.2%). Stormflow DOC was enriched in carbohydrates relative to baseflow DOC, but the percentage of humic-C changed little. Carbohydrates were primarily present as dissolved polysaccharides (55%), but a significant fraction was bound to humic substances (40%), while a small proportion was present as monosaccharides (5%). The major monosaccharides in stream water, listed in order of decreasing concentration, included glucose, galactose, rhamnose, xylose, arabinose, mannose, and fucose. On average (30.6 ± 7.4)% (n = 44) of the stream water DOC was biodegradable, and carbohydrates accounted for 9.9 to 17.7% of the BDOC.