Dissolved silicon in the Yaquina Estuary,Oregon

The longitudinal distribution of dissolved silicon in the Yaquina Estuary is described in surface and bottom waters. Non-conservative behaviour is a function of high insolation and low runoff; residence time is the primary controlling factor.     

New evidence for the dominance of vapour diffusion during the re-saturation of compacted bentonite

The established codes for modelling the re-saturation of compacted bentonite are based on the assumption that the hydraulic processes can be described as a two-phase flow of liquid water and air. Some models additionally take vapour flow into account. Recent investigations suggest, though, that compacted bentonite in contact with liquid water does not re-saturate via the liquid water phase but exclusively by evaporation in the pore space and subsequent vapour diffusion. The present paper adds further evidence to support this hypothesis.Under certain conditions a balance equation for the water vapour in the bentonite can be transformed into the well-known Fickian approach that has been empirically derived from observations of uptake experiments with liquid water. This transformed balance equation allows to interpret the so-called “diffusion coefficient” as a product of several simple physical parameters. An exemplary set of parameters for compacted MX-80 bentonite yields a value that lies within the narrow band of empirically determined “diffusion coefficients”.     

Exposure and bioavailability of arsenic in contaminated soils from the La Parrilla mine, Spain

Arsenic derived from mining activity may contaminate water, soil and plant ecosystems resulting in human health and ecotoxicological risks. In this study, exposure assessment of arsenic (As) in soil, spoil, pondwater and plants collected from the areas contaminated by mine tailings and spoils in and around the La Parrilla mine, Caceres province, Spain, was carried out using AAS method. Water solubility, bioavailability and soil–plant transfer coefficients of As and phytoremediation potential of plants were determined. Arsenic concentrations varied from 148 to 2,540 mg/kg in soils of site 1 and from 610 to 1,285 mg/kg in site 2 exceeding the guideline limit for agricultural soil (50 mg/kg). Arsenic concentrations in pond waters varied from 8.8 to 101.4 μg/l. High concentrations of water-soluble As in the soils that ranged from 0.10 to 4.71 mg/kg in site 1 and from 0.46 to 4.75 mg/kg in site 2 exceeded the maximum permitted level of water-soluble As (0.04 mg/kg) in agricultural soils. Arsenic concentrations varied from 0.8 to 149.5 mg/kg dry wt in the plants of site 1 and from 2.0 to 10.0 mg/kg in the plants of site 2. Arsenic concentrations in plants increased in the approximate order: Retama sphaerocarpa < Pteridium aquilinum < Erica australis < Juncus effusus < Phalaris caerulescens < Spergula arvensis in site 1. The soil–plant transfer coefficients for As ranged from 0.001 to 0.21 in site 1 and from 0.004 to 0.016 in site 2. The bioconcentration factor based on water-soluble As of soil varied from 3.2 to 593.9 in the plants of site 1 whereas it varied from 2.1 to 20.7 in the plants of site 2. To our knowledge, this is the first study in Europe to report that the fern species P. aquilinum accumulates extremely low contents of As in its fronds despite high As levels in the soils. Therefore, the S. arvensis, P. caerulescens and J. effusus plant species grown in this area might be used to partly remove the bioavailable toxic As for the purpose of minimization of mining impacts until hypothetical hyperaccumulating and/or transgenic plants could be transplanted for the phytoremediation of As contaminated soils.     

Variations of nutrient element contents of plants and soils in the process of karst rocky desertification

The present research on karst rocky desertification is mainly focused on qualitative analysis and obviously lack of quantitative and successive mechanism studies. Currently, classification of rocky desertification grades mainly depends on ratio of rocky coverage or ratio of plant and soil coverage. The process of rocky desertification was divided into latent, slight, medium and serious grades without mention of soil degradation. The Cha＇eryan catchment in the Huajiang Gorge of Guizhou Province was selected as the research area in this paper. Soil basic physical characteristics, nutrient element contents of soil and plant were studied in the process of rocky desertification. The karst soil characteristics elucidated that the clay content was high, the contents of soil organic matter, nutrient element （except potassium and sodium）, available contents of elements （except of potassium） were also high; ashes of plants were rich in calcium and nitrogen, and poor in iron, zinc, potassium and phosphorus. Meanwhile, the contents of plant ashes showed a significant positive relationship with calcium content of plant. There were no clear relations between soil degradation and succession of rocky desertification according to current classification standard. Soil particle size distribution, specific gravity, soil organic matter content, total and available nutrient element contents did not vary with the succession of rocky desertification.     

川中丘陵区土壤养分含量及其与易氧化有机碳的关系

以川中丘陵区的典型紫色土为主要研究对象，对丘陵区不同成土母质的土壤养分含量特点及其与土壤易氧化有机碳的相互关系分析。结果表明：研究区内土壤有机碳平均含量8．10g／kg，属中等水平，主要集中在4．00-15．00g／kg。土壤易氧化有机碳的含量在0．65～3．98g／kg。全氮含量在0．185～1．074g／kg，平均值为0．413g／kg，含量偏低。且三者不同成土母质的含量规律均为：遂宁组〉蓬莱镇组〉自流井组〉沙溪庙组；土壤全磷含量总体在0．26—3．04g／kg，不同母质的含量与前面三者的分布既相似又存在局部差异性：遂宁组〉蓬莱镇组〉沙溪庙组〉自流井组；土壤有效氮含量总体在15．6—68．3mg／kg，其含量与土壤全氮略有不同：蓬莱镇组〉沙溪庙组〉遂宁组〉自流井组；土壤有效磷的含量在3．0—15．4mg／kg：遂宁组〉自流井组〉蓬莱镇组〉沙溪庙组。对于川中丘陵区土壤有机碳（SOC）、全氮（TN）、有效氮（AN）、全磷（TP）、有效磷（AP）与易氧化有机碳（ROC）之间的关系分析，得出5个一元线性回归方程。由相关系数可知易氧化有机碳对土壤碳、氮、磷作用强度的顺序依次为：土壤有机碳、土壤全氮、土壤有效氮、土壤有效磷、土壤全磷。     

Emission of nitrogen oxides (NO x ) from a flooded soil fertilized with urea: Relation to other nitrogen loss processes

Emissions of nitric oxide and other odd nitrogen oxides (NO _x ) from a flooded rice field were studied after urea had been broadcast into the floodwater.The NO _x flux from the fertilized area was very low (0.2×10^-9 g N m^-2 s^-1) for the first few days after application of urea and was high (0.95×10^-9 g N m^-2 s^-1) in the subsequent period when significant nitrite and nitrate were present in the floodwater. At night, little if any NO _x was exhaled but ambient NO₂ was absorbed by the floodwater. An uptake velocity for NO₂ of 3×10^-4 m s^-1 was measured during one night. Maximum NO _x losses were observed near 1300 h when temperature and solar ultraviolet light were maximum.While the amounts of nitrogen oxides emitted are of little agronomic importance (2×10^-3 per cent of the fertilizer nitrogen was lost as NO _x during the 10-day study period), they may well be of significance as a source for some gas reactions in the atmosphere and for the global nitrogen cycle.Of the fertilizer nitrogen applied (as urea) approximately 30% was lost to the atmosphere by NH₃ volatilization, 15% by denitrification, presumably as N₂, and the remainder, less minor losses of NO and N₂O, remained in the plant/soil/water system.Now at Forestry Department, Australian National University, G.P.O. Box 4, ACT 2601, Australia.     

Interactions of bacteria with diatoms: influence on natural marine biofilms

Interactions between microfouling components influence the biofilm community and the cascading events, thus playing an important role in the biofouling process. Bacteria and diatoms are among the dominant forms reported in biofilms. Experiments were carried out with natural marine biofilms from a tropical monsoon‐influenced environment to evaluate the interactions between bacteria and diatoms through application of antibiotics (streptomycin and chloramphenicol). Overall, chloramphenicol inhibited diatom communities, whereas streptomycin did not. These antibiotic‐mediated changes in the fouling diatom community were consistent across the seasons. However, the rates at which the fouling communities changed depended on the initial species composition. It was also observed that elevated nutrient concentrations overrode the inhibitory effect of chloramphenicol. Maximum Vibrio enhancement was observed in the enriched conditions during the pre‐monsoon and unenriched conditions during the monsoon (with naturally elevated background nutrient concentrations), highlighting the relevance of nutrient concentrations for Vibrio spp. This has interesting implications for antibiotic‐mediated interactions between fouling diatom and bacterial communities under differing nutrient regimes. Although this study indicates the relevance of ‘cross‐talk’ at the microfouling level, understanding the effects of additional microbial products (e.g. bacteriocins and peptidoglycan) on these community‐level interactions will represent a step forward.     

铀、钍在碳酸钙-海水界面的附着行为研究

运用实验模拟的手段,对铀(U)、钍(Th)在碳酸钙-海水界面的附着行为进行了初步研究,通过测定相关的分异系数(D)定量评估了文石和方解石两种碳酸钙矿物对U和Th的捕集作用。实验结果显示,不仅U和Th之间存在显著差异,而且两种碳酸钙矿物之间也存在明显不同。U介于碳酸钙和海水之间的分异系数(DU)分别在1.5~3.5(文石)和0.04~0.19(方解石)区间内变化,分异行为非常微弱但其分异系数随着碳酸钙沉淀速率的增加而逐渐上升。这表明U元素主要是以共沉淀的方式进入到文石或方解石沉淀中,但由于其在海水溶液中主要以2 22 3UO(CO)nn的形式存在,因而只能以占据晶格缺陷的方式进入碳酸钙。与之相反的是,文石和方解石都对Th表现出极强的捕集能力,所测定的分异系数(DTh)分别在240~6 330(文石)和430~6 160(方解石)范围内变化,但DTh与碳酸钙沉淀速率之间无明显关联。Th在碳酸钙表面的附着行为可界定为单纯的吸附作用,这一行为应与Th主要以Th(OH)4的形式赋存于溶液中有关。     

渤海浮游植物生物量季节变化的模拟研究

在近海生态系统中,浮游植物生物量的季节变化仍然缺乏全面的机制解释。为研究渤海生态系统中浮游植物生物量季节变化的影响机制,建立了1个包括营养盐(无机氮)、浮游植物、浮游动物、底碎屑4种生物变量的箱式模型,模拟了渤海1983年浮游植物生物量的季节变化,再现了浮游植物生物量一年内的双峰分布。通过对模型参数敏感性的定量和定性分析,讨论了模型对不同生物参数的敏感性,发现模型对浮游植物最大生长率、浮游植物最大死亡率、浮游植物吸收营养盐的半饱和系数最敏感。通过一系列数值试验,进一步讨论了理化因子对渤海浮游植物生物量季节变化的影响,发现理化因子的改变不仅影响浮游植物生物量的大小,也决定了其季节变化的特征。