Effects of prolonged exposure to 4-tert-octylphenol on toxicity and indices of oestrogenic exposure in the sand goby (Pomatoschistus minutus, Pallas)

Alkylphenolic compounds are present in estuarine and marine environments. They are moderately bioaccumulative, and oestrogenic to fish following three week, in vivo, exposures. The effects of prolonged exposure are, as yet, unclear. Sand goby (Pomatoschistus minutus) were exposed to measured concentrations of 4-tert-octylphenol (OP) in a 28-day, dose-ranging study, and a six month temporal response study. Following 28-days exposure to measured 31+/-6 or 101+/-47 microg l(-1) OP (mean+/-SD), immature male sand goby showed elevated vitellogenin (VTG) mRNA expression. Plasma alkali-labile phosphate concentrations were elevated in both sexes and were higher in females than males. Although measured OP concentrations were variable, they were significantly different for each treatment and a range of concentration-dependent effects were observed. The LC(50) for chronic OP exposure (8 weeks) was 29+/-6 microg l(-1), and both sexes demonstrated concentration and duration dependent increases in VTG mRNA expression. Exposure to 28+/-20 microg l(-1) OP (median+/-95% CI) for 6 months inhibited development of male nuptial colouration and sperm duct glands. These findings are discussed in relation to environmental concentrations of alkylphenols and ecological concerns.     

A simple method for calculating growth rates of petroleum hydrocarbon plumes

Consumption of aquifer Fe(III) during biodegradation of ground water contaminants may result in expansion of a contaminant plume, changing the outlook for monitored natural attenuation. Data from two research sites contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons show that toluene and xylenes degrade under methanogenic conditions, but the benzene and ethylbenzene plumes grow as aquifer Fe(III) supplies are depleted. By considering a one-dimensional reaction front in a constant unidirectional flow field, it is possible to derive a simple expression for the growth rate of a benzene plume. The method balances the mass flux of benzene with the Fe(III) content of the aquifer, assuming that the biodegradation reaction is instantaneous. The resulting expression shows that the benzene front migration is retarded relative to the ground water velocity by a factor that depends on the concentrations of hydrocarbon and bioavailable Fe(III). The method provides good agreement with benzene plumes at a crude oil study site in Minnesota and a gasoline site in South Carolina. Compared to the South Carolina site, the Minnesota site has 25% higher benzene flux but eight times the Fe(III), leading to about one-sixth the expansion rate. Although it was developed for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes, the growth-rate estimation method may have applications to contaminant plumes from other persistent contaminant sources.     

特提斯的微板块：运动学及其与主板块运动的关系

特提斯海的发育过程过去曾归咎于阿尔卑斯褶皱系,在此过程中可以注意到几个微板块的位移。某些研究者认为,这些中型地块代表着冈瓦纳大陆被动边缘的断块,它们的向北运移与这一海洋北段(古特提斯)的闭合及南段(新特提斯)的张开有关。不过,实际情况比这一过程所展示的更复杂。比如,伊朗地块与阿富汗地块(有时认为是Kimmerian联合微陆的组成部分并非同时发育的。伊朗地块三叠纪未期合并到欧亚大陆上,而阿富汗中部地块却是在晚白垩时期由它分离出来的。中生代时期特提斯的闭合期间,这些微板块的表现明显不同。比如,随着非洲板块相对于欧亚板块的位移相应出现了Apoulia地块的旋转,Menderea地块与kirshekhir地块的运动是由主板块运动产生的,而Lesser Caucasus地块、Armenian地块及Lut地块却没有这种反应。     

Intelligent Space Tube Optimization for speeding ground water remedial design

An innovative Intelligent Space Tube Optimization (ISTO) two-stage approach facilitates solving complex nonlinear flow and contaminant transport management problems. It reduces computational effort of designing optimal ground water remediation systems and strategies for an assumed set of wells. ISTO's stage 1 defines an adaptive mobile space tube that lengthens toward the optimal solution. The space tube has overlapping multidimensional subspaces. Stage 1 generates several strategies within the space tube, trains neural surrogate simulators (NSS) using the limited space tube data, and optimizes using an advanced genetic algorithm (AGA) with NSS. Stage 1 speeds evaluating assumed well locations and combinations. For a large complex plume of solvents and explosives, ISTO stage 1 reaches within 10% of the optimal solution 25% faster than an efficient AGA coupled with comprehensive tabu search (AGCT) does by itself. ISTO input parameters include space tube radius and number of strategies used to train NSS per cycle. Larger radii can speed convergence to optimality for optimizations that achieve it but might increase the number of optimizations reaching it. ISTO stage 2 automatically refines the NSS-AGA stage 1 optimal strategy using heuristic optimization (we used AGCT), without using NSS surrogates. Stage 2 explores the entire solution space. ISTO is applicable for many heuristic optimization settings in which the numerical simulator is computationally intensive, and one would like to reduce that burden.     

离子色谱分析在地学研究中的应用

离子色谱分析由于其灵敏度高、快速、检测限低,常用于含低浓度组分样品(ppm、ppb级)、微量样品分析,而在地学研究中得到了广泛的应用;其中尤是在环境地球化学,有机地球化学、岩石学、矿床学中的应用最为普遍。 1.离子色谱法的特点:离子色谱技术能测定无机阴离子、阳离子和有机化合物等200余种组分。其特点是能快速、准确、灵敏的同时测定多种离子,尤其以同时测定若干种阴离子见长。测定的浓度范围是ppm—ppb段,通过增加进样量(一般是50M)或用浓缩柱,可达到ppb—ppt级。此外,通过选择不同的分离方式、检测方式、不同的分离柱和淋洗液,可得到很好的选择性;而样品前处理很简单,大多只作简单的稀释和过滤即可。 2.离子色谱法在地学研究中的应用:环境地球化学研究常涉及到天然水体,大气漂尘与降尘,土壤样品的阴离子分析问题。传统的分析不能同时快速地获得一系列阴离子,如     

Cypermethrin induces glutathione S-transferase activity in the shore crab,Carcinus maenas

Cypermethrin is a synthetic pyrethroid that is particularly toxic to crustacea. It is therefore applied as a chemotherapeutant in the salmonid aquaculture industry for the treatment of sea lice infestations. After use, cypermethrin is released directly into the marine environment, to be diluted by fresh seawater. The shore crab, Carcinus maenas is found in the vicinity of fish farms, and may come into contact with released cypermethrin. The detoxification enzyme, glutathione S-transferase (GST) has been implicated in cypermethrin metabolism in terrestrial arthropods, but this has not yet been demonstrated in crustacea. In this paper we investigate the response of GST activity in Carcinus to cypermethrin exposure, and also the time course of the induction process. GST activity is significantly increased in Carcinus exposed to nominal concentrations of 50 and 500 ng/l of water-borne cypermethrin. Carcinus demonstrate a significant elevation in GST activity following intra-cephalothoracic injection with 10 ng of cypermethrin. GST activity returns to basal levels after 36 h. The potential application of GST activity in Carcinus as a biomarker of cypermethrin exposure is discussed.     

Assessing the effects of Irgarol 1051 on marine phytoplankton populations in Key Largo Harbor, Florida

The antifouling boosting agent Irgarol 1051 is a strong inhibitor of the photosystem II (PSII) with high efficiency/toxicity towards algae. However, because some phytoplankton species are more sensitive to Irgarol than others, its persistent release into the environment could result in adverse changes in the phytoplankton community structure at heavily impacted sites such as marinas. Continuous monitoring in the Florida Keys showed Irgarol concentrations of up to 635 ngL(-1) in the canal system leading to Key Largo Harbor Marina (KLH) with a sharp decrease in concentration at stations offshore from the mouth of the canal. Preliminary phytoplankton community assessments from surface water samples collected in KLH between February and August 2004 showed changes in several phytoplankton species in concordance with the increase of the herbicide concentrations. Typical responses include an increase in the abundance of eukaryotes and Cryptomonas sp. as Irgarol concentrations increase.