Fate of antibiotics during wastewater treatment and antibiotic distribution in the effluent-receiving waters of the Yellow Sea,northern China

Antibiotics including three β-lactams, two fluoroquinolones and two macrolides, which were the top seven most prescribed antibiotics in Dalian, China, were selected to investigate their occurrence in six municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and their distribution in the effluent-receiving waters of the Yellow Sea. Four WWTPs employing different treatment technologies were selected to explore the mechanism of antibiotics elimination during wastewater treatment. Results showed that fluoroquinolones and macrolides were dominant species in both WWTPs effluents and the surveyed coastal waters. Biodegradation was the main pathway for β-lactams removal, however, primary treatment performed better than biological treatment for fluoroquinolones removal. Concentrations of macrolides increased dramatically after the biological treatment, which was probably due to the release of macrolides enclosed in feces particles. In the surveyed coastal waters, reduction of antibiotic concentration with distance was observed. Potential environmental risk caused by the occurrence of these antibiotics should be evaluated in future work.     

High congruence of isotope sewage signals in multiple marine taxa

Assessments of sewage pollution routinely employ stable nitrogen isotope analysis (δ¹⁵N) in biota, but multiple taxa are rarely used. This single species focus leads to underreporting of whether derived spatial N patterns are consistent. Here we test the question of ‘reproducibility’, incorporating ‘taxonomic replication’ in the measurement of δ¹⁵N gradients in algae, seagrasses, crabs and fish with distance from a sewage outfall on the Adelaide coast (southern Australia). Isotopic sewage signals were equally strong in all taxa and declined at the same rate. This congruence amongst taxa has not been reported previously. It implies that sewage-N propagates to fish via a tight spatial coupling between production and consumption processes, resulting from limited animal movement that closely preserves the spatial pollution imprint. In situations such as this where consumers mirror pollution signals of primary producers, analyses of higher trophic levels will capture a broader ambit of ecological effects.     

Bioavailability of heavy metals in water and sediments from a typical Mediterranean Bay (Málaga Bay,Region of Andalucía,Southern Spain)

Concentrations of heavy metals were measured in sediment and water from Málaga Bay (South Spain). In the later twentieth century, cities such as Málaga, have suffered the impact of mass summer tourism. The ancient industrial activities, and the actual urbanization and coastal development, recreation and tourism, wastewaters treatment facilities, have been sources of marine pollution. In sediments, Ni was the most disturbing metal because Ni concentrations exceeded the effects range low (ERL), concentration at which toxicity could start to be observed in 85% of the samples analyzed. The metal bioavailability decreased in the order: Cd > Ni > Pb > Cu > Cr. In the sea water samples, Cd and Pb were the most disturbing metals because they exceeded the continuous criteria concentration (CCC) of US EPA in a 22.5% and 10.0% of the samples, respectively. Statistical analyses (ANOVA, PCA, CA) were performed.     

无人船近海水深测量与抗风浪能力评估北大核心CSCD

传统载人测量船吃水深,无法进行浅海水深测量,因此吃水极浅的无人船为近海水深测量提供了新途径。本文利用无人船无验潮测深与GNSS网络RTK技术,在不同的风浪条件下进行了近海水深测量试验;并从轨迹跟踪与水深测量精度方面,定量评估了无人船野外作业的抗风浪能力。结果表明:0~0.3 m浪、0~2级风是无人船近海测量作业的理想风浪阈值;风浪过大会导致无人船路径跟踪精度较低,难以保证测量成果质量。在理想的风浪阈值内,无人船无验潮测深技术能实现近海水深的高精度测量,满足相关测深规范要求,在近海水深与海底地形测量中具有广阔的应用前景。     

Climate variability and its effects on major fisheries in Korea

Understanding in climate effects on marine ecosystem is essential to utilize, predict, and conserve marine living resources in the 21s t century. In this review paper, we summariz ed t h e past history and current status of Korean fisheries as well as the changes in climate and oceanographic phenomena since the 1960s. Ocean ecosystems in Korean waters can be divided into three, based on the marine commercial fish catches; the demersal ecosystem in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea, the pelagic ecosystem in the Tsushima Warm Current from the East China Sea to the East/Japan Sea, and the demersal ecosystem in the northern part of the East/Japan Sea. Through the interdisciplinary retrospective analysis using available fisheries, oceanographic, and meteorological information in three important fish communities, the trend patterns in major commercial catches and the relationship between climate/ environmental variability and responses of fish populations were identified. Much evidence revealed that marine ecosystems, including the fish community in Korean waters, has been seriously affected by oceanographic changes, and each species has responded differently. In general, species diversity is lessening, and mean trophic level of each ecosystem has decreased during the last 3~4 decades. Future changes in fisheries due to global warming are also considered for major fisheries and aquaculture in Korean waters.     

Sulphide-bearing Waters in Northern Apennines, Italy: General Features and Water-rock Interaction

Sulphide-bearing Ca-carbonate, Na-carbonate, Na-hydroxide, Na-chloride and Ca-sulphate waters from Northern Apennines were investigated in order to determine their main chemical and isotopic composition and draw inferences on water-rock interaction. ²H and ¹⁸O values suggest an origin mostly meteoric for the analysed waters but a well drilled in Miocenic sediments. The Na-carbonate and the Ca-sulphate waters are the most interesting geochemically. Na-carbonate type, which sometimes reaches extreme composition (Na/Ca up to 228, equivalent ratio), may have been derived through prolonged interaction of Ca-carbonate waters with rocks containing feldspar, montmorillonite and illite under calcite saturation/oversaturation; the high F and pH and the very low P_{CO 2} agree with prograde dissolution of silicates and lasting water-rock interaction. However, Ca–Na ion exchange, involving clays of marine origin, cannot be excluded in addition. The Ca-sulphate waters, occurring in Messinian gypsum-bearing sediments, are saturated in gypsum and calcite and exhibit very high total H₂S (up to 219 mg dm^-3) and P_{CO 2} (up to 0.32 bar). Mass balance of sulphate sulphur, sulphide sulphur and delta³⁴S suggests sulphate – derived from gypsum – as source for H₂S; CH₄ and organic matter generate the reducing conditions and sulphate reduction is mediated by bacteria. One Na-chloride water from a well in Miocenic sediments has unusual composition, containing about 700 mgdm^-3 of potential CaCl₂ and having ²H and ¹⁸O (-47.5 and -4.9 respectively) which plot far from the meteoric water lines; probably it is derived by mixing of meteoric and formation waters. The Na-hydroxide water, with very high pH (11.2), is generated through protracted interaction of meteoric waters with ultramafites.     

River discharge controls phytoplankton dynamics in the northern San Francisco Bay estuary

Phytoplankton dynamics in the upper reach of the northern San Francisco Bay estuary are usually characterized by low biomass dominated by microflagellates or freshwater diatoms in winter, and high biomass dominated by neritic diatoms in summer. During two successive years of very low river discharge (the drought of 1976-77), the summer diatom bloom was absent. This is consistent with the hypothesis that formation of the diatom population maximum is a consequence of the same physical mechanisms that create local maxima of suspended sediments in partially-mixed estuaries: density-selective retention of particles within an estuarine circulation cell. Because the estuary is turbid, calculated phytoplankton growth rates are small in the central deep channel but are relatively large in lateral shallow embayments where light limination is less severe. When river discharge falls within a critical range (100–350 m³ s^?1) that positions the suspended particulate maximum adjacent to the productive shallow bays, the population of neritic diatoms increases. However, during periods of high discharge (winter) or during periods of very low discharge (drought), the suspended particulate maximum is less well-defined and is uncoupled (positioned downstream or upstream) from the shallow bays of the upper estuary, and the population of neritic diatoms declines. Hence, the biomass and community composition of phytoplankton in this estuary are controlled by river discharge.     

Modelling of tidal motion in shoaling waters: The estuary of Milford Haven

An experimental survey of the estuary of Milford Haven has been carried out in which velocity, temperature and salinity have been measured over the full extent of the estuary during a complete spring and a complete neap- tidal cycle. The measurements were taken from three survey vessels, each of which was used to service six or seven survey points so that the measurements comprised a total of about 40 vertical profiles distributed over a grid of 20 survey points for each tide. Tide level measurements at two points were made simultaneously. The experimental measurements of tidal level have been used to calibrate a two-dimensional mathematical model based upon a new numerical representation of the shallow water equations. The predictions of velocity for the model have been compared with vertically integrated velocities calculated from experiments, and good agreement has been found over the full extent of the estuary.The effect of a strong south-westerly wind in the estuary has been examined in numerical simulation.     

Silicon limitation on primary production and its destiny in Jiaozhou Bay, China V： Silicon deficit process

Silicon is a necessary nutrient for diatoms, silicon uptake in diatom reproduction decreased seawater silicon content. This paper clarified the characteristics of silicon transferring in the sea, which plays an important role in phytoplankton growth, zooplankton graze and marine ecosystem. Analysis revealed that silicate is supplied by terrestrial sources, through plankton uptake, death, and eventually deposits to the sea bottom, and cannot diffuse upward. This is a general silicon deficit process. Many global marine waters showed the same silicon transfer route: land→silicon biogeochemical process→sea bottom. River flow brings abundant silicate into marine waters, silicate concentration in the waters decreased in the distance away from the river estuaries. In discussion of silicon characteristics and its transfer route, it was considered that the main factor controlling the mechanism of diatom and non-diatom red tides occurrence is silicon, and the changes in silicon source. Human activities, such as sea-route cutting by building embankment and dam, and silicon supplement by the sea, such as sandstorm, rainstorm and storm tide, have largely impaired the earth ecosystem and hugely threatened the human existence. It is suggested in this paper that man should resume the original face of the Si input into the sea to keep natural ecosystem in sustainable pattern.